Urban Myths and Legends
Urban myths and legends have been with us since times beyond remembering and are likely to be with us well into the future. Urban myths are generally stories about something bad happening to some person or animal that is purported to be absolutely true by the writer. They will likely contain all sorts of information to try to trick you into believing that the writer is a real person and that he knows what he is talking about.  In all cases, if you bother to check out the person who supposedly wrote the letter you will find out that they either do not exist or they exist but never wrote the story (and would really like people to stop asking them about it.)
Internet Cleanup Day  Flesh Eating Bananas  Kentucky Fried Hoax  Internet Access Charge  E-mail Tax (602P)  Geeks Bearing Gifts  Klingerman Virus  Kidney Harvest  PBS and NPR - Petition  Needles on Theater Seats  Needles Needles in the ball pit  Needles on Gas Pump Handles  LSD On the Phone Hoax  Poisoned Envelopes at the Autoteller  Sad Story, Cocaine Baby  FCC Bans Religious Broadcasting  Antiperspirant and Breast Cancer  Shampoo Causes Cancer  Sunscreen Causes Blindness  Tampons, Asbestos, and Dioxin  Paget's Disease  Lethal Rat Urine  Instant Messenger Hoax  Warning to YAHOO USERs Hoax  Procter & Gamble Hoax  Aspartame Hoax	Spider in the Toilet Hoax  Roaches in the Tacos Hoax  Roaches in the Glue Hoax  Credit Info Opt Out Hoax  Outback Steakhouse Hoax 2  Fake Nostradamus Prophecies  Missing at the WTC Picture Hoax  Dunkin Donuts Warning  Disaster Hoax Spoof  How Bud Handled It Hoax  Harry Potter Hoax  Walmart Flags Hoax  Progesterex Warning  Hotmail My Account is Active Warning  Spunkball Warning  Universal Legend Spoof  Prophecy from a Folded $20  Boycott Tommy Hilfiger Hoax  McDonalds Beef Warning  Voting Rights Expire Warning  Canola Oil Warning  Two-Way Mirrors Test  Having A Bad Day At Work  CA-125 Blood Test Warning  Columbia Explosion Pictures

Internet Cleanup Day

Subj: Internet Cleanup Day

THIS MESSAGE WILL AGAIN BE REPEATED IN MID FEBRUARY.
*** Attention ***

It's that time again!

As many of you know, each year the Internet must be shut down for 24
hours in order to allow us to clean it. The cleaning process, which
eliminates dead e-mail and inactive FTP, www and gopher sites, allows for a
better working and faster Internet.
 
This year, the cleaning process will take place from 12:01 a.m.. GMT on
February 27 until 12:01 a.m. GMT on February 28 (the time least likely to
interfere with ongoing work). During that 24-hour period, five powerful
Internet search engines situated around the world will search the
Internet and delete any data that they find.
 
In order to protect your valuable data from deletion we ask that you do
the following:

  1. Disconnect all terminals and local area networks from their
     Internet connections.

  2. Shut down all Internet servers, or disconnect them from the
     Internet.

  3. Disconnect all disks and hard drives from any connections to the
     Internet.

  4. Refrain from connecting any computer to the Internet in any
     way.

We understand the inconvenience that this may cause some Internet
users, and we apologize. However, we are certain that any inconveniences
will be more than made up for by the increased speed and efficiency of the
Internet, once it has been cleared of electronic flotsam and jetsam.

We thank you for your cooperation.

Flesh Eating Bananas Hoax

The warning, shown below, purports to come from the Center for Disease Control 
warns of necrotizing fasciitis associated with bananas that will eat the flesh off 
your bones. The report is totally false as indicated by the CDC and the FDA: 

CDC and FDA joint statement: False Internet Report About Necrotizing Fasciitis 
Associated With Bananas
CDC: False Internet Report about Bananas. 

Subject: URGENT warning

Dear Friend,
Please forward to everyone you love!!
This is VALIDATED FROM THE CDC. (center for disease control in
Atlanta Georgia)

Warning:
Several shipments of bananas from Costa Rica have been infected 
with necrotizing fasciitis, otherwise known as flesh eating bacteria.
Recently this disease has decimated the monkey population in Costa
Rica. We are now just learning that the disease has been able to 
graft itself to the skin of fruits in the region, most notably the 
Banana which is Costa Rica's largest export.

Until this finding scientist were not sure how the
infection was being transmitted. It is advised not to purchase 
Bananas for the next three weeks as this is the period of time for 
which bananas that have been shipped to the US with the possibility 
of carrying this disease. If you have eaten a banana in the last 
2-3 days and come down with a fever followed by a skin infection 
seek "Medical Attention"!!!

The skin infection from necrotizing fasciitis is very painful and 
eats two to three centimeters of flesh per hour. Amputation is likely, 
death is possible..

If you are more than an hour from a medical center burning the flesh
ahead of the infected area is advised to help slow the spread of the
infection.

The FDA has been reluctant to issue a country wide warning because 
of fear nationwide panic. They have secretly admitted that they feel 
upwards of 15,000 Americans will be affected by this but that these 
are acceptable numbers.

Please forward this to as many people you care about as possible as
we do not feel 15,000 people is an acceptable number.

Manheim Research Institute
Center for Disease Control
Atlanta Georgia

Kentucky Fried Hoax

Another notice about potentially bad food that is totally fake. 

Subject:  KFC NOTICE

KFC has been a part of our American traditions for many years. Many
people, day in and day out, eat at KFC religiously. Do they really know
what they are eating? During a recent study of KFC done at the University 
of New Hampshire, they found some very upsetting facts.

First of all, has anybody noticed that just recently, the company has
changed their name?  Kentucky Fried Chicken has become KFC. Does
anybody know why? We thought the real reason was because of the "FRIED"
food issue.
 
It's not.
 
The reason why they call it KFC is because they can not use the word
chicken anymore. Why?  KFC does not use real chickens. They actually use
genetically manipulated organisms. These so called "chickens" are kept
alive by tubes inserted into their bodies to pump blood and nutrients
throughout their structure. They have no beaks, no feathers, and no feet.
Their bone structure is dramatically shrunk to get more meat out of them.
This is great for KFC because they do not have to pay so much for their
production costs.There is no more plucking of the feathers or the removal 
of the beaks and feet. The government has told them to change all of their
menus so they do NOT say chicken anywhere. If you look closely you will
notice this. Listen to their commercials, I guarantee you will not see or hear 
the word chicken.
I find this matter to be very disturbing. I hope people will start to
realize this and let other people know.
Please forward this message to as many people as you can. Together we
make KFC start using "Real" chicken again.
 
Note from the Moderator:
I had some Kentucky "Fried Chicken" a few weeks ago and noticed
for quite some time but because when we are (hungry)we tend to ignore
good common sense.

This is what I discovered:
1. An unusual amount of 'fat' under the skin
2. A high "grease" residue inside the skin that you could drain
3. The breast meat having a 'brown' as opposed to a "white" color
4. A feeling of gastric distress after eating the chicken

Internet Access Charges

This is a variant of the historic modem tax hoax of bygone years. This latest version 
started making its rounds on Nov 06, 1998, based apparently on a CNN story. Early 
versions pointed the finger at the FCC as the villain in this story. Then it was 'the 
government', then it was 'the Congress'. 

FCC statement: 
"... the FCC has no intention of assessing per-minute charges on Internet traffic or 
of making any changes in the way consumers obtain and pay for access to the 
Internet." 

********************************

Date: Wednesday, January 06, 1999 10:03 PM

Looks like Congress has found another way to tax us.

There is a new bill in US Congress that will be affecting all Internet
users. You might want to read this and pass it on.  CNN
stated that the government would in two weeks time decide to allow or
not allow a charge to your (OUR) phone bill each time you access the
internet.

Please visit the following URL and fill out the necessary form!

The address is http://www.house.gov/writerep/

If EACH one of us, forward this message on to others in a hurry, we may
be able to prevent this from happening! (Maybe we CAN fight the phone
company!)

********************************* 

In reaction to it, the FCC issued an official statement of December, 1998, which can 
be found at http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Factsheets/nominute.html. 
This publication restates that the reciprocal billing issue does not include any proposal 
to have metered billing of any sort by the telcos for internet usage. 

Reputable organizations producing legislative alerts will include some basic information 
which will assist the reader in determining how and when to respond. Most if not all of 
this information was missing from this spurious alert. 

1) Congress does not vote as a single body. Any alert should name the specific body 
(House or Senate) scheduled to vote to whom letters/e-mail should be sent. It will 
also indicate whether this is in front of a committee, and which committee, or that it 
is set for a floor vote. 

2) At a minimum, a specific bill number will be cited such as S.1615 or HR.3888. The 
reader can then check the Congressional bill status web site http://thomas.loc.gov
to determine the precise current status of the bill before writing to your member of 
Congress about it. 

3) A specific alert date, and a deadline date for responses, will be included to help in 
determining whether the alert is stale. 

4) A legitimate alert will say exactly what is wrong with (or right with) the bill, possibly 
even citing a specific section. Check the language of the bill on Thomas to ensure that 
amendments to the bill in between the time the alert went out and the time that you're 
reading it haven't changed it to the point where the alert is no longer relevant. 

It should also be noted that this alert began making its rounds after the 105th Congress 
had adjourned. Although the House of Representatives came back into a lame duck 
(post election) session to consider the issue of impeachment of the president, no 
other issues were considered. And the Senate did not reconvene at all. The 106th 
Congress was officially convened in early January, 1999. At the time the new Congress 
is seated at the beginning of every odd numbered year, all bills not enacted into law by 
the end of the previous Congress are swept away. The new Congress starts over with a 
clean slate, introducing entirely new bills which must make their way through the entire 
legislative process. A legislative alert from 1998 is null and void in January, 1999, 
whether it was spurious at the time or not. 

Charles Oriez
coriez@netone.com
National Legislative Chair
Association of Information Technology Professionals 
http://www.aitp.org

E-mail Tax (602P) Hoax

Here's a rewrite of the internet charge hoax. 

The U. S. Postal service has published a disclaimer on their website. This one 
includes a disclaimer by 'The Washingtonian' at 
http://www.washingtonian.com/about/emailhoax.html. If you search the U. S. 
House of Representatives Web site http://www.house.gov/house/searchall.htm
you get hundreds (thousands?) of links addressing this hoax. 

********
Dear Internet Subscriber: Please read the following carefully if you
intend to stay online and continue using e-mail: The last few months
have revealed an alarming trend in the Government of the United States
attempting to quietly push through legislation that will affect your use
of the Internet. Under proposed legislation (Bill 602P) the U.S. Postal
service will be attempting to bilk e-mail users out of "alternative
postage fees". Bill 602P will permit the Federal Government. to charge 5 cents
surcharge on every e-mail delivered, by billing Internet Service
Providers at source. The consumer would then be billed in turn by the
ISP. Washington D.C. lawyer Richard Stepp is working without pay to
prevent this legislation from becoming law. The U.S. Postal Service is
claiming that lost revenue due to the proliferation of e-mail is costing
nearly $230,000,000 in revenue per year. You may have noticed the recent
ad campaign "There is nothing like a letter". Since the average citizen
received about 10 pieces of e-mail per day in 1998, the cost to the
typical individual would be an additional 50 cents per day, or over $180
per year, above and beyond their regular Internet costs. Note that this
would be money paid directly to the U.S. Postal Service for a service
they do not even provide. The whole point of the Internet is democracy
and non-interference. If the Federal Government. is permitted to tamper with
our liberties by adding a surcharge to e-mail, who knows where it will
end. You are already paying an exorbitant price for snail mail because
of bureaucratic inefficiency. It currently takes up to 6 days for a
letter to be delivered from New York to Buffalo. If the U.S. Postal
Service is allowed to tinker with e-mail, it will mark the end of the
'free' Internet in the United States. One congressman, Tony Schnell (R)
has even suggested a "twenty to forty dollar per month surcharge on all
Internet service" above and beyond the government's proposed e-mail
charges. Note that most of the major newspapers have ignored the story,
the only exception being the Washingtonian which called the idea of
e-mail surcharge "a useful concept whose time has come" (March 6th 1999
Editorial) Don't sit by and watch your freedoms erode away! Send this
e-mail to all Americans on your list and tell your friends and relatives
to write their congressman and say "No!" to Bill 602P Kate Turner
assistant to Richard Stepp Berger, Stepp and Gorman Attorneys at Law 216
Concorde Street, Vienna, VA. 
********

Geeks Bearing Gifts

Hopefully, no one passed this one on out of fear of a big, wooden horse in the front 
yard but it has been making the rounds of the net lately. 

WARNING!! BEWARE GREEKS(Geeks) BEARING GIFTS!

  WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
    
  IF YOU RECEIVE A GIFT IN THE SHAPE OF A LARGE
  WOODEN HORSE DO NOT DOWNLOAD IT!!!! It is EXTREMELY
  DESTRUCTIVE and will overwrite your ENTIRE CITY!
  
  The "gift" is disguised as a large wooden horse about two
  stories tall. It tends to show up outside the city gates
  and appears to be abandoned. DO NOT let it through the
  gates! It contains hardware that is incompatible with
  Trojan programming, including a crowd of heavily armed
  Greek warriors that will destroy your army, sack your town,
  and kill your women and children. If you have already
  received such a gift, DO NOT OPEN IT! Take it back out of
  the city unopened and set fire to it by the beacH
   
  FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!
   
  Poseidon

Klingerman Virus

The Center for Disease Control has issued a press release about the false e-mail 
chain letter about the "Klingerman Virus". 

False E-mail Report about "Klingerman Virus"

The chain letter reads as follows: 

Subject:  Very Serious Information!!!

This is an alert about a virus in the original sense of the word...one
that affects your body, not your hard drive.

There have been 23 confirmed cases of people attacked by the
Klingerman Virus, a virus that arrives in your real mail box, not your
e-mail in-box.

Someone has been mailing large blue envelopes, seemingly at random, to
people inside the US. On the front of the envelope in bold black
letters is printed, "A gift for you from the Klingerman Foundation." When
the envelopes are opened, there is a small sponge sealed in plastic. This
sponge carries what has come to be known as the Klingerman Virus, as public
health officials state this is a strain of virus they have not previously
encountered.

When asked for comment, Florida police Sergeant Stetson said, "We are
working with the CDC and the USPS, but have so far been unable to
track down the origins of these letters. The return addresses have all
been different, and we are certain a re-mailing service is being used, making
our jobs that much more difficult."

Those who have come in contact with the Klingerman Virus have been
hospitalized with severe dysentery. So far seven of the twenty three
victims have died. There is no legitimate Klingerman Foundation mailing
unsolicited gifts.If you receive an oversized blue envelope in the mail
marked,"A gift from the Klingerman foundation", DO NOT open it. Place the
envelope in a strong plastic bag or container, and call the police
immediately.

The "gift" inside is one you definitely do not want.

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU CARE ABOUT.

Kidney Harvest

"It's Not a Joke"
Dear Friends,

I wish to warn you about a new crime ring that is targeting business
travelers. This ring is well organized, well funded,has very skilled
personnel, and is currently in most major cities and recently very active
in New Orleans.

The crime begins when a business traveler goes to a lounge for a drink
at the end of the work day.A person in the bar walks up as they sit
alone and offers to buy them a drink. The last thing the traveler
remembers until they wake up in a hotel room bath tub, their body
submerged to their neck in ice, is sipping that drink. There is a note
taped to the wall instructing them not to move and to call 911. A phone is
on a small table next to the bathtub for them to call.The business
traveler calls 911 who have become quite familiar with this crime.The
business traveler is instructed by the 911 operator to very slowly and
carefully reach behind them and feel if there is a tube protruding from
their lower back. The business traveler finds the tube and answers,
"Yes." The 911 operator tells them to remain still, having already sent
paramedics to help.The operator knows that both of the business
traveler's kidneys have been harvested.

This is not a scam or out of a science fiction novel, it is real. It is
documented and confirmable.If you travel or someone close to you
travels, please be careful.

Another e-mail report:

Yes, this does happen.My sister-in-law works with a lady that this
happened to her son's neighbor who lives in Houston.The only "good"
thing to this whole story is the fact that the people doing this horrible
crime are very in tune to what complications can happen afterwards
because of the details precautions they take the time to set up before
leaving the room.The word from my sister-in-law is that the hospital in
Las Vegas (yes, Vegas) prior to transferring him back to Houston stated
that these people know exactly what they are doing.The incision, etc.
was exact and clean. They use sterile equipment etc. and the hospital stated
that other than the fact that the victim looses a kidney there has not been any
reports of other complications due to non-sterile, etc. tactics that were
used. Please be careful.

Another e-mail report:

Sadly, this is very true.My husband is a Houston Firefighter/EMT and
they have received alerts regarding this crime ring.It is to be taken very
seriously.The daughter of a friend of a fellow firefighter had this
happen to her.Skilled doctor's are performing these crimes (which, by
the way have been highly noted in the Las Vegas area)! Additionally, the
military has received alerts regarding this.

If more information on the above subject is received it will be
verified and passed on to keep you updated on this material.

PBS and NPR - Petition 

David Brumley, the Network Administer at University of Northern Colorado informed 
CIAC of the following: "In 1995, a couple of students wrote a letter and sent it out to 
support funding for PBS and NPR. This letter was not intended to be a hoax, but instead 
was only a misguided attempt by some students of ours to do some good. After reading 
through the CIAC section on HOAX's, I decided to go ahead and verify that in fact this 
one should not be circulated. The students (one of whom has left the university since 
the posting) have been reprimanded." 

Subject: PBS and NPR - petition

Please read this VERY IMPORTANT petition!  I hope you will then sign it and 
pass it along to everyone you know.  We've got to be active in saving these
important institutions!  Please sign!  Thanks!

This is for anyone who thinks NPR/PBS is a worthwhile expenditure of $1.12/year 
of their taxes (as opposed to, say, Newt Gingrich's salary?), a petition follows. 
If you sign, please forward on to others (not back to me).

If not, please don't kill it -- send it to the e-mail address listed here:
            wein2688@blue.univnorthco.edu 

PBS, NPR (National Public Radio), and the arts are facing major cutbacks in funding.
In spite of the efforts of each station to reduce spending costs and streamline 
their services, some government officials believe that the funding currently going 
to these programs is too large a portion of funding for something which is seen as 
"unworthy".  Currently, taxes from the general public for PBS equal $1.12 per 
person per year, and the National Endowment for the Arts equals $.64 a year in 
total.

A January 1995 CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll indicated that 76% of Americans wish to 
keep funding for PBS, third only to national defense and law enforcement as the 
most valuable programs for federal funding.

Each year, the Senate and House Appropriations committees each have 13 sub-
committees with jurisdiction over many programs and agencies. Each subcommittee 
passes its own appropriation bill.  The goal each year is to have each bill signed 
by the beginning of the fiscal year, which is October 1.

The only way that our representatives can be aware of the base of support for PBS 
and funding for these types of programs is by making our voices heard.

Please add your name to this list and forward it to friends if you believe in what 
we stand for. This list will be forwarded to the President of the United States, 
the Vice President of the United States, and Representative Newt Gingrich, who is 
the instigator of the action to cut funding to these worthwhile programs.

If you happen to be the 150th, 200th, 250th etc. signer of this petition, please 
forward a copy to: 
              wein2688@blue.univnorthco.edu. 
If that address is inoperative, please send it to:
              kubi7975@blue.univnorthco.edu.
This way we can keep track of the lists and organize them. 

Forward this to everyone you know, and help us to keep these programs alive.

Thank you.

Needles on Theater Seats

Below is a prime example of one of the Hidden Needles legends. All of these are fake. 
See the information from the Center for Disease Control concerning these messages 
and the risks of "needle stick" injuries. 

     "For your information, a couple of weeks ago, in a Dallas movie
theater, a person sat on something sharp in one of the seats.  When
she stood up to see what it was, a needle was found poking through the seat
with an attached note saying, "you have been infected with HIV".
The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta reports similar events have
taken place in several other cities recently. All of the needles tested
HAVE been found positive for HIV.  The CDC also reports that
needles have been found in the coin return areas of pay phones and
soda machines.  Everyone is asked to use extreme caution when
confronted with these types of situations.  All public chairs should be
thoroughly but safely inspected prior to any use.  A thorough visual
inspection is considered the bare minimum.  Further more, they ask
that everyone notify their family members and friends of the potential
dangers, as well.  Thank you.  The previous information was sent from the
Dallas Police Department to all of the local governments in the
Washington area and was interdepartmentally dispersed.  We were
all asked to pass this to as many people as possible."

Needles Needles in the ball pit.

Below is a another example of one of the Hidden Needles legends. According to the 
Houston Chronicle, "The 'Kevin Archer' e-mail being circulated these days is a hoax. 
There is nothing to be found in the archives. No such article appeared in this or any 
other newspaper on Oct. 10, 1994, or any other date as no such or similar incident 
ever has occurred here or been reported by any news service or in any medical or 
legal records. " 

    Hi, My name is Lauren Archer, my son Kevin and I lived in Sugarland, TX. 
    On October 2cd, 1994 I took my only son to McDonald's for
his 3rd birthday. After he finished lunch, I allowed him to play in the
ball pit. When he started whining later on, I asked him what was wrong,
he pointed to the back of his pull-up and simply said "Mommy, it hurts." 
    But I couldn't find anything wrong with him at that time. I
bathed him when we got home, and it was at that point when I found a
welt on his left buttock. Upon investigating, it seemed as if there was
something like a splinter under the welt. I made an appointment to have
it taken out the next day, but soon he started vomiting and shaking,
then his eyes rolled back into his head. From there, we went to the
emergency room. 
    He died later that night. It turned out that the welt on his
buttock was the tip of a hypodermic needle that had broken off inside. 
    The autopsy revealed that Kevin had died from heroine
overdose. The next week, the police removed the balls from the ball pit
and lo and behold. There was rotten food, several hypodermic needles:
some full; some used; knives, half-eaten candy, diapers, feces, and the 
  stench of urine. If a child is not safe in a child's play area then where? 
    You can find the article on Kevin Archer in the October 10,
1994 issue of the Houston Chronicle. Please forward this to all loving
mothers! 

Needles on Gas Pump Handles

And another example of one of the Hidden Needles legends. 

 ***********DANGEROUS PRANK:***************** 

Please read and forward to anyone you know who
drives.

My name is Captain Abraham Sands of the Jacksonville, 
Florida Police Department.  I have been asked by
state and local authorities to write this e-mail in order
to get the word out to car drivers of a very
dangerous prank that is occurring in
numerous states. Some person or persons have been affixing
hypodermic needles to the underside of gas pump
handles. These needles appear to be
infected with HIV positive blood.  In the
Jacksonville area alone there have been 17 cases of
people being stuck by these needles over the past
five months. We have verified reports of at least
12 others in various states around the country. 
It is believed that these may be copycat
incidents due to someone reading about the crimes
or seeing them reported on the television.  At
this point no one has been arrested and
catching the perpetrator(s) has become our top priority. 

Shockingly, of the 17 people who where stuck, eight have 
tested HIV positive and because of the nature of the disease,
the others could test positive in a couple
years. Evidently the consumers go to fill
their car with gas, and when picking up
the pump handle get stuck with the infected needle.

IT IS IMPERATIVE TO CAREFULLY CHECK
THE HANDLE of the gas pump each time you use one.
LOOK AT EVERY SURFACE YOUR HAND MAY TOUCH,
INCLUDING UNDER THE HANDLE.  If you do find
a needle affixed to one, immediately contact
your local police department so they can collect
the evidence.

************PLEASE HELP US BY MAINTAINING
A VIGILANCE AND BY FORWARDING THIS EMAIL TO
ANYONE YOU KNOW WHO DRIVES.  THE MORE PEOPLE
WHO KNOW OF THIS THE BETTER PROTECTED WE CAN
ALL BE. 

LSD On the Phone Hoax

Instead of needles, this hoax puts LSD and strychnine on a pay phone's keys and coin 
slot. This warning purports to come from someone in the Pentagon no less. 

Hello, this is to warn everyone of a new thing happening
in communities as a gang initiation and sucH
If you care about anyone, please forward
this to them immediately so they can learn of the
possible harm. Even if you don't
read this, at least forward it to people.
 
Hello, my name is Tina Strongman and I work at a
police station, as a phone operator for 911.
Lately, we've received many phone calls pertaining
to a new sort of problem that has arisen in the
inner cities, and is now working its way to smaller towns.
It seems that a new form of gang initiation is to go
find as many pay phones as possible and put a mixture
of LSD and Strychnine onto the buttons.
 
This mixture is deadly to the human touch, and
apparently, this has killed some people on the east coast.
Strychnine is a chemical used in rat poison and is easily
separated from the rest of the chemicals.
When mixed with LSD, it creates a substance that is
easily absorbed into the human flesh, and highly fatal.
 
Please be careful if you are using a pay phone anywhere.
You may want to wipe it off, or just not use one at all.
If you have any questions, you can contact me at the
links listed below.  Please be very careful. Let your
friends and family know about this potential hazard.
 
Thank you.
S.Sgt. Terence D. Murchison
(703) 588 7203
DSN 425 7203
1800 759 8888 pin 1826484
4E232 Air Force Pentagon
Washington DC
http://www.safaq.hq.af.mil

Poisoned Envelopes at the Autoteller

Instead of needles, this hoax puts poison on the envelopes found in the 
Autoteller machine. 

Very scary!  Please read..............

Whenever you go to an automatic teller machine to 
make deposits, make sure you don't lick the deposit 
envelopes. (spit on it) A customer died after 
licking an envelope at a teller machine at Yonge & 
Eglinton. According to the police, Dr. Elliot at the 
Women's college hospital found traces of cyanide in
the lady's mouth and digestive system and police
traced the fatal poison to the glue on the envelope 
she deposited that day. They then did an inspection 
of other envelopes from other teller machines in the 
area and found six more. The glue is described as 
colorless and odorless. They suspect some sickco 
is targeting this particular bank and has been
putting the envelopes beside machines at different
locations. A spokesperson from the bank said their 
hands are tied unless they take away the deposit 
function from all machines. So watch out,and
please forward this message to the people you care 
about.

Thanks
Kimberly Clarkson
Crime unit, Department for Public Health
(416) 563-9905

Sad Story, Cocaine Baby

And yet another warning that is, thankfully, untrue. 

Subject: SAD STORY
This story is extremely sad. Please  pass it on after reading it.
Everyone needs to know about this.  My sister's co-worker has a 
sister in Texas who with her husband was planning a weekend trip 
across the Mexican border for a shopping spree.

At the last minute their baby sitter canceled, so they had to bring
along their two year old son with them. They had been across the border 
for about an hour when the baby got free and ran around the corner. 
The mother went chasing, but the boy had disappeared. The mother found 
a police officer who told her to go to the gate and wait. Not really 
understanding the instructions, she did as she was instructed.

About 45minutes later, a man approached the border carrying the boy.
The mother ran to him, grateful that he had been found. When the man
realized it was the boy's mother, he dropped the boy and ran.
The police were waiting for him and got him. The boy, was dead. 

In the 45 minutes (less than) he was missing, he was cut open and , 
ALL of his insides removed and his body cavity stuffed with COCAINE. 
The man was going to carry him across the border as if he were asleep. 
A two year old boy, dead, discarded as if he were a piece of trash for 
somebody's cocaine. If this story can get out and change one person's 
mind about what drugs mean to them, we are helping.

Please send this E-mail to as many people as you can, if you have a
home PC send it out there too. Let's hope and pray it changes a lot 
of minds. The saddest thing about the whole situation is that those 
persons who suffer are innocent and people we love.......

God Bless you in this united effort to spread the word. You just
might save a life!

ABC News System Specialist
202-222-7697
May God Bless you and keep you in his loving embrace.

FCC Bans Religious Broadcasting

The following rumor has achieved legend status with people writing in comments 
about an FCC petition that does not exist. The FCC has commented on this rumor 
and has indicated that it is all a fake. In fact, "There is no federal law or regulation 
that gives the FCC the authority to prohibit radio and television stations from 
presenting religious programs. Actually, the Communications Act (the law that 
established the FCC and defines its authority) prohibits the FCC from censoring 
broadcast material and interfering with freedom of speech in broadcasting. " 
So the FCC could not take action on such a petition even if it did exist. 

Please share this with everyone! We don't need 
to sit back and be passive on this one.
This is really scary and once you read it 
you'll realize that CBS would even be forced to
discontinue "Touched By An Angel" 
because they use the word "God" in
every program. Madeline Murray O'Hare, an 
atheist, successfully eliminated the use of
Bible reading and prayer from schools fifteen 
years ago. Her organization has now been
granted a Federal Hearing on the same subject 
by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) in Washington, DC. Their petition, 
No. 2493, would ultimately pave the way to stop
the reading of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior 
Jesus Christ, on the airwaves of America.
They took this petition with 287,000 signatures 
to back their stand. If this attempt is
successful, all Sunday Worship services being 
broadcast either by radio or television will
stop. This group is also campaigning to remove 
all Christmas Programs, Christmas songs and
Christmas carols from public schools. You can help! 
We need one million signed letters.
This would defeat their effort and show that 
there are many Christians alive, well and
concerned in our country. Please print this 
letter then cut off and sign the form below.
PLEASE DO NOT SIGN JOINTLY, such as 
"Mr. & Mrs." Each person should sign one
letter separately, and mail it in separate 
envelopes. Be sure to put "Petition
2495" ON THE ENVELOPE when you mail 
the letter. This has to go out regular mail. It's
important that you do it right away. Please 
e-mail this letter to all your friends and
relatives and to anyone else you feel led to. 
Or photo copy it and mail it. Christians
must unite on this. Please do not take this 
lightly. You don't have to be a "Bible
Thumper" to realize the significance of 
the disappearance of another good influence
in our lives, and of particular concern, that 
of the next generation's lives. We did once
and lost prayer in schools and in offices 
across the nation. We cannot let this attempt
succeed. Below is a sample letter that you can 
copy and send, or draft your own personal
message to voice your concern. 

Send letter to:

Date: January __, 2000


Federal Communications Commission
Washington, DC 20054

Re:  Petition 2493

Dear Sirs;

  I am an American and am very thankful for my American Heritage.
Our forefathers founded this country under the premise of a strong belief
and faith in God and His principles.  I am also very much aware of the
role that our Christian faith has played in the freedom that we Americans
now enjoy.  Therefore, I protest any effort to remove from radio or
television, programs designed to nurture faith in God, or to remove
Christmas programs, Christmas songs and Christmas carols from public
airwaves, schools, office buildings, etc.

                              Sincerely,

                              Name:
                              Address:
                              City:
                              State & Zip Code:

Anti-perspirant Causes Breast Cancer

This letter claims that anti-perspirant causes breast cancer by plugging up the sweat 
glands under your arms. This message was debunked by the American Cancer Society.

THIS IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION..................
From:   Theoharis, Andrea
Sent:   Monday, April 26, 1999 12:11 PM
To:     ATLANTA OFFICE
Subject:        BREAST CANCER PREVENTION - not just for women
Importance:     High
 
I just got information from a health seminar that I would like to
share.  The leading cause of breast cancer is the use of anti-perspirant.

What?
Yes, ANTI-PERSPIRANT.  Most of the products out there are an
anti-perspirant/deodorant combination so go home and check your
labels. Deodorant is fine, anti-perspirant is not.  Here's why:
The human body has a few areas that it uses to purge toxins;
behind the knees, behind the ears, groin area, and armpits.  
The toxins are purged in the form of perspiration.  Anti-perspirant, 
as the name clearly indicates, prevents you from perspiring, 
thereby inhibiting the body from purging toxins from below the 
armpits.  These toxins do not just magically disappear.  Instead, 
the body deposits them in the lymph nodes below the arms since it 
cannot sweat them out.  This causes a high concentration of toxins 
and leads to cell mutations: a.k.a. CANCER.
Nearly all breast cancer tumors occur in the upper outside quadrant
of the breast area.  This is precisely where the lymph nodes are
located. Additionally, men are less likely (but not completely exempt) to
develop breast cancer prompted by anti-perspirant usage because
most of the anti-perspirant product is caught in their hair and is not
directly applied to the skin.  Women who apply anti-perspirant right after
shaving increase the risk further because shaving causes almost
imperceptible nicks in the skin which give the chemicals entrance
into the body from the armpit area.
 
PLEASE pass this along to anyone you care about.  Breast Cancer is
becoming frighteningly common.  This awareness may save lives.  If
you are skeptical about these findings, I urge you to do some
research for yourself.  You will arrive at the same conclusions, 
I assure you.
 
Thank you.
 

Shampoo Causes Cancer

In the same vein as the message above, this message claims that shampoo causes 
cancer. This one was also debunked by the American Cancer Society.

Subject: FW: Read this about the shampoo you use
 
 
Check the ingredients listed on your shampoo bottle, and see if they
have substance by the name of Sodium Laureth Sulfate, or simply SLS.
This substance is found in most shampoos, and the manufacturers use it
because it produces a lot of foam and it is cheap.
BUT the fact is that SLS is used to scrub garage floors, and it is very
strong. It is also proven that it can cause cancer in the long run, and
this is no joke. I went home and checked my shampoo (Vidal Sasoon); it
doesn't contain it; however, others such as Vo5, Palmolive, Paul
Mitchell, the new Hemp Shampoo .. contain this substance. The first
ingredient listed (which means it is the single most prevalent
ingredient) in Clairol's Herbal Essences is Sodium Laureth Sulfate.
 
So I called one company, and I told them their product contains a
substance that will cause people to have cancer.
They said,"Yeah, we knew about it but there is nothing we can do about
it because we need that substance to produce foam.
 
By the way Colgate toothpaste also contains the same substance to
produce the "bubbles". They said they are going to send me some
information. Research has shown that in the 1980s, the chance of
getting cancer is 1 out of 8000 and now, in the 1990s, the chances of
getting cancer is 1 out of 3, which is very serious.
So I hope that you will take this seriously and pass this on to all the
people you know, and hopefully, we can stop "giving" ourselves the
cancer virus.
 
This is serious, after you have read this, pass it on to as many people
as possible, this is not a chain letter, but it concerns our healtH
 
 

Sunscreen Causes Blindness

The following hoax claims that getting sunscreen in your eyes causes blindness. This 
claim is debunked by the American Academy of Ophthalmology in http://www.eyenet.org/member/comm/media_relations/99/sunscreen.html. 

Subject:  Fwd: WARNING: WATERPROOF SUNSCREEN LOTION

If you have kids....This is a most read!  Sunscreen danger.
 
 
To my friends with children or soon to have children....this was
passed on to me by my best friend who works for Boeing in Seattle, 
his own true story...FYI
 
 
I wanted to tell you a story about a
very serious thing.  We still use
sunscreen on our whole family, but we
are more cautious now.  I tell you
this only to make you more aware and use
caution.  When Zack was 2 years
old, I put on the waterproof sun screen
like I always had. I don't know
how but he got some in his eyes.  Most
likely from his hands. It happens
so easily at that age or any age really.
He started screaming!!!  So
I tried to flush it out with water.  But
guess what?  Didn't matter...
Remember *WATERPROOF.*  So I just held
him and let he cry, thinking the
salty tears would flush it all out.  But
it got worse.  I called the
poison control center.  They told me to
RUSH Zack to ER NOW!!!  I was
surprised.  I got him there and they
rushed me back without a second to
spare.  They started flushing his eyes
out with special medications.

Anyway, I found out for the first time
that MANY kids each year lose their
sight to waterproof sun screen.  It
burns the eye and they lose complete
sight!!!  I was appalled.  I could not
believe the sun screen we use to
help keep our kids safe from skin cancer
can make them go blind!

Well, I made a big stink about it.  I wrote the
sun screen company and they
admitted to the problem but they said
something to the fact that the
seriousness of getting skin cancer is
much worse then the chance of going
blind.  I think it's wrong if just one
child goes blind!
 
They should change ingredients or should
at least have a huge warning on
it. But they claim that if you put a
huge warning on it then parents won't
use it due to fear.  I kind-of get that
but there needs to be a change.
We did this huge article in our big city
and went on the news warning
parents. Education along with the
importance of using it.  Well, anyway,
Zack did go blind for 2 days, it was
horrible.  So please be
careful!!!  Don't stop using sun screen,
just be very careful your
children don't touch there eyes for at
least 15-20 minutes after you put
it on! And if your child does get it in
his/her eyes, then get to the
emergency room at once!
 
***PASS THIS WARNING ON!!!***
<<WARNING: WATERPROOF SUNSCREEN LOTION>>

Tampons, Asbestos, and Dioxin

This message claims that "A woman getting her PHD. at University of Colorado at 
Boulder" researched tampons and found that they contain dangerous levels of 
asbestos and dioxin. While there are risks with using tampons, those risks are 
not associated with any possible asbestos or dioxin content in the tampons. The 
FDA examined tampons and says that "The available scientific evidence does not 
support these rumors." There is also a very nice, point by point discussion of this 
message and its errors of fact and logic on the snopes site.

Please pass on to as many women as possible . . .If you are a woman
and use pads, but especially if you use tampons, read this and pass on
to your friends. (For the men receiving this e-mail, please forward it to
your friends, significant others, sisters, mothers, daughters, etc.)
Thanks!

Check the labels of the sanitary pads or tampons that you are going
to buy the next time, and see whether you spot any of the familiar signs
stated in this e-mail.

No wonder so many women in the world suffer from cervical cancer and
womb tumors. Have you heard that tampon makers include asbestos in
tampons? Why would they do this? Because asbestos makes you bleed more,
if you bleed more, you're going to need to use more. Why isn't this 
against the law, since asbestos is so dangerous? Because the powers 
that be, in all their wisdom (not), did not consider tampons as being 
ingested, and therefore wasn't illegal or considered dangerous.

This month's Essence magazine has a small article about this and
they mention two manufacturers of a cotton tampon alternative. The
companies are Organic Essentials @(800)765-6491 and Terra Femme
@(800)755-0212. A woman getting her PHD. at University of Colorado 
at Boulder sent the following: "I am writing this because women are 
not being informed about the dangers of something most of us use - 
tampons. I am taking a class this month and I have been learning 
a lot about biology and women, including much about feminine hygiene. 
Recently we have learned that tampons are actually dangerous (for 
other reasons than TSS). I'll tell you this, after learning about 
this in our class, most of the females wound up feeling angry
and upset with the tampon industry, and I for one, am going to do
something about it.

To start, I want to inform everyone I can, and e-mail is the fastest way
that I know how.

HERE IS THE SCOOP:
Tampons contain two things that are potentially harmful: Rayon (for
absorbency), and dioxin (a chemical used in bleaching the products).
The tampon industry is convinced that we, as women, need bleached white
products in order to view the product as pure and clean. The problem
here is that the dioxin produced in this bleaching process can lead to 
very harmful problems for a woman. Dioxin is potentially carcinogenic
(cancer-associated) and is toxic to the immune and reproductive systems. 
It has also been linked to endometriosis and lower sperm counts for 
men-for both, it breaks down the immune system. Last September the 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that there really is 
no set "acceptable" level of exposure to dioxin given that it is 
cumulative and slow to disintegrate. The real danger comes from 
repeated contact (Karen Houppert "Pulling the Plug on the Tampon 
Industry").

I'd say using about 4-5 tampons a day, five days a month, for 38
menstruating years "repeated contact", wouldn't you? Rayon
contributes to the danger of tampons and dioxin because it is a highly
absorbent substance. Therefore, when fibers from the tampons are 
left behind in the vagina (as it usually occurs), it creates a 
breeding ground for the dioxin.

It also stays in a lot longer than it would with just cotton
tampons. This is also the reason why TSS (toxic shock syndrome) occurs.

WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES?

Using feminine hygiene products that aren't bleached and that are
all cotton. Other feminine hygiene products pads/napkins) contain dioxin
as well, but they are not nearly as dangerous since they are not in
direct contact with the vagina. The pads/napkins need to stop being
bleached, but obviously tampons are the most dangerous. So, what can you
do if you can't give up using tampons? Use tampons, that are made from 100%
cotton, and that are UNBLEACHED. Unfortunately, there are very, few companies
that make these safe tampons. They are usually only found in health food
stores. Countries all over the world (Sweden, Germany, Canada, etc.) have
demanded a switch to this safer tampon, while the U.S. has decided to keep 
us in the dark about it. In 1989, activists in England mounted a campaign 
against chlorine bleaching. Six weeks and 50,000 letters later, the makers of
sanitary products switched to oxygen bleaching (one of the green methods
available). (MS magazine, May/June 1995).

WHAT TO DO NOW:

Tell people. EVERYONE. Inform them. We are being manipulated by this
industry and the government, let's do something about it!

Please write to the companies: Tampax (Tambrands), Playtex, O.B.,
Kotex. Call the 800 numbers listed on the boxes. Let them know that
we demand a safe product - ALL COTTON UNBLEACHED TAMPONS.

Paget's Disease

Paget's Disease of the nipple is a real, but extremely rare (less than 1% of all breast 
cancers according to the American Cancer Society) disease that is associated with 
breast cancer. While we sympathize with the writer this disease does not rank really 
high with diseases that we think everyone should be told about right now. If you are 
really interested in this disease, you are more likely to get accurate information by 
connecting to one of the more credible oncology sites on the net such as the 
University of Pennsylvania or the American Cancer Society. 

Paget's Disease

This is a rare form of breast cancer, and is on the outside of the
breast, on the nipple and aureola.  It appeared as a rash, which later
became a lesion with a crusty outer edge.  I would not have ever suspected
it to be breast cancer but it was.

My nipple never seemed any different to me, but the rash bothered me, so
I went to the doctor for that.  Sometimes, it itched and was sore, but
other than that it didn't bother me.  It was just ugly and a nuisance, and
could not be cleared up with all the creams prescribed by my doctor and
dermatologist for the dermatitis on my eyes just prior to this outbreak.

They seemed a little concerned but did not warn me it could be cancerous.
Now I suspect there are not many women out there who know a lesion or rash
on the nipple or aureola can be breast cancer.

Mine started out as a single red pimple on the aureola.  One of the biggest
problems with Paget's disease of the nipple is that the symptoms appear to
be harmless.  It is frequently thought to be a skin inflammation or
infection, leading to unfortunate delays in detection and care.

What are the symptoms? The symptoms include:

1. A persistent redness, oozing, and crusting of your nipple causing it
to itch and burn. (As I stated, mine did not itch or burn much, and had no
oozing I was aware of, but it did have a crust along the outer edge on one
side).

2. A sore on your nipple that will not heal. (Mine was on the aureola
area with a whitish thick looking area in center of nipple).

3. Usually only one nipple is affected.

How is it diagnosed?

Your doctor will do a physical exam and should suggest having a mammogram of
both breasts, done immediately.  Even though the redness, oozing and
crusting closely resemble dermatitis (inflammation of the skin), your doctor
should suspect cancer if the sore is only on one breast.  Your doctor should
order a biopsy of your sore to confirm what is going on.

They will take a sample of your breast tissue in that area to test for
cancer.

If the cancer is only in the nipple and not in the breast, your doctor
may recommend just removing the nipple and surrounding tissue or suggest
radiation treatments.  Had my doctor caught mine right away, instead of
flaking it off as dermatitis, perhaps they could have saved my breast,
and it wouldn't have gone to my lymph nodes.

This message should be taken seriously and passed on to as many of your
friends as possible; it could save someone's life.  My breast cancer has
spread and metastasized to my bones after receiving Mega doses of
chemotherapy, 28 treatments of radiation and taking tamaxofin.  If this
had been diagnosed as breast cancer in the beginning, perhaps it would not
have spread...

TO ALL READERS-

This is sad as women are not aware of Paget's disease.  If, by passing
this around on the e-mail, we can make others aware of it, and its potential
danger, we are helping women everywhere.  Please, if you can, take a moment
to forward this message to as many people as possible, especially to your
family and friends.

It only takes a moment, yet the results could save a life!

Lethal Rat Urine

The following two warnings are related, in that they both claim that you can be 
killed by rat or mouse urine or droppings. According to the Center for Disease Control,
this is very unlikely and the symptoms of the possible infections are different from 
those in the warnings. Of course, washing off the top of a can of soda before 
drinking does not sound like such a bad idea anyway. 

Alert 1 

A stock clerk was sent to clean up a storeroom at 
their Maui,Hawaii location. When he got back, he 
was complaining that the storeroom was really filthy, 
and that he had noticed dried mouse or rat droppings 
in some areas. 

Couple of days later, he started feeling like he was 
coming down with stomach flu, achy joints, headache, 
and he started throwing up. He went to bed and never 
really got up. Within two days he was so ill and weak. 
His blood sugar count was down to 66 and his face and 
eyeballs were yellow. He was rushed to the emergency 
at Pali Momi, where they said he was suffering from 
massive organ failure! He died shortly before midnight.
 
None of us would have ever made the connection between 
his job and his death, but the doctors specifically 
asked if he had been in a warehouse or exposed to dried 
rat or mouse droppings at any time. They said there is 
a virus (much like Hanta virus) that lives in dried rat 
and mouse droppings. Once dried, these droppings are like 
dust, and can easily be ingested if a person is not careful 
to wash their hands and face thoroughly,or wear protective 
gear. An autopsy was conducted to verify the doctors' 
suspicions. This is why it is extremely important to ALWAYS 
carefully rinse off the tops of any canned sodas or foods,and 
wipe off pasta packaging, cereal boxes, etc. 

Almost everything you buy in a supermarket was stored in 
a warehouse at one time or another, and stores themselves 
often have rodents. Most of us remember to wash vegetables 
and fruit but never think of boxes and cans. The ugly truth 
is........ even the most modern, upper-class, superstore has 
rats and mice. And their Warehouse most assuredly does. 
Whenever you buy any canned soft drink, please make sure that 
you wash the top with running water and soap, or if not available, 
drink with a straw. A family friend's friend died after drinking 
a can of soda! 

A brief investigation by the Center for Disease Control in 
Atlanta discovered the cause. The top was encrusted with dried 
rat's urine which is toxic and obviously lethal!!!! Canned drinks 
and other food stuffs are stored in warehouses and containers 
that are usually infested with rodents and then get transported 
to the retail outlets without being properly cleaned.
 
Please forward this message to the people you care about. 

HEALTH ALERT.... Whenever you buy a can of coke or
any other canned soft drink, please make sure that 
you wash the top with running water and soap or, 
if not available, drink with a straw.

A family friend's friend died after drinking a can 
of soda! Apparently, she didn't clean the top before 
drinking from the can.

The top was encrusted with dried rat's urine which 
is toxic and obviously lethal!!!!!

Canned drinks and other foodstuffs are stored in 
warehouses and containers that are usually infested 
outlets without being properly cleaned.

Please forward this message to the people you care 
about...Thanks.

Instant Messenger Hoax

The following that Instant Messenger is going away is also a hoax. 

 Dear America Online and Instant Message users,
 Our America Online staff is planning to take away our Instant
 messages by July 14,1999. If you want to keep your Instant
 Messages free of charge,send this mail to everyone you know. It
 will be used as a petition. Each person you send this to,
 counts as one "signature." If this petition gets 100,000
 "signatures," our Instant Messages will still be available at
 no extra charge. If America Online does not receive 100,000
 "signatures," Instant Messages will still be available, but
 only to those who pay an extra 15.00 dollars a montH If you do
 not care about not getting any future Instant Messages, please
 send this for the sake of those who want to keep their Instant
 Messages free of charge. Thank you for your time and
 consideration.
 
 Robert McDoggan
 America Online
 Assistance Director

Warning to YAHOO USERs Hoax

And, here is a Yahoo version of the Instant Messenger Hoax. 

 
Dear YAHOO User,

Because of the sudden rush of people
signing up to YAHOO, it has come to our attention
that we are vastly running out of resources. So,
within a month's time,anyone who does not receive
this e-mail with the exact subject heading,will be
deleted off our server. Please forward this e-mail so
that we know you are still using this account. 

WARNING WARNING


We want to find out which users are
actually using their YAHOO accounts. So if you are
using your account, please pass this e-mail to every
YAHOO user that you can and IF YOU DO NOT PASS this
letter to anyone we will delete your account.

From Mr. ALLEN SMITH
YAHOO Admin. Dept.

Our YAHOO system is getting to crowded!! We need
you to forward this to at least 20 people. I know
this seems like a large number, but we need to find
out who is really using their account. If you do not
send this to at least 10 YAHOO members, we will
delete your account. Sorry for this inconvenience.

 
Sincerely, Director of YAHOO Services
BOB LOPEZ


Please do this! Some of my friends have already
gotten deleted and you aren't allowed to send it
back to the person who sent this e-mail to you!!

Procter & Gamble Hoax

July 1999

The following message is totally false. The president of Procter and Gamble never appeared on Sally Jesse Raphael and never said any of the things in the message. See the faq on the Sally Jesse Raphael web site that debunks this hoax: http://www.sallyjr.com/sally4/frm_sallyfaq2.html

 The President of Procter & gamble appeared on the Sally Jesse Raphael
 Show on March 1, 1998. He announced that "due to the openness of our 
society", he was coming out of the closet about his association with the 
church of Satan. He stated that a large portion of his profits from Procter & 
Gamble Products goes to support this satanic churcH When asked by Sally 
Jesse if stating this on t.v. would hurt his business, he replied, "THERE ARE 
NOT ENOUGH CHRISTIANS IN THE UNITED STATES TO MAKE A
 DIFFERENCE."
  
 Product list includes:
  
 Cleaning supplies: Bold, Cascade, Cheers, Joy, Comet, Dash, Spic & Span, 
Tide, Top Job, Oxidol, Ivory Dreft, Gain, Mr. Clean, Lest Oil, Bounty Towels
 Food: Duncan Hines, Fisher Nuts, Fisher Mints, Dehydrated Fruits
 Coffee: Folgers, High Point,
 Shortening Oils: Crisco, Puritan, Fluffo
 Deodorants: Secret, Sure
 Diapers: Luvs, Pampers
 Hair Care: Lilt, Head & Shoulders, Prell, Pert, Vidal Sassoon, Ivory
 Acne Product: Clearasil
 Mouthwash/Toothpaste: Scope, Crest, Gleem
 Peanut Butter: JIF
 Personal Hygiene: Always, Attend Undergarments
 Lotions: Oil of Olay, Wondra
 Soap: Camay, Coast, Ivory, Lava, Safeguard, Zest, Oil of Olay
 Fabric Softener: Downy, Bounce
 Citrus Punch: Sunny Delight
 Medication: Aleve, Pepto-Bismol
  
 If you are not sure about the product, look for a Procter & Gamble written
on the products, or the symbol of a ram's horn, which will appear on each 
product beginning on January 1, 2000. The ram's horn will form the 666, which 
is known as Satan's number. Christians should remember that if they purchase 
any of these products, they will be contributing to the church of Satan. 
Inform other Christians about this and STOP buying Procter & Gamble Products. 
Let's show Procter & Gamble that there are enough Christians to make a 
difference. On a previous Jenny Jones Show, the owner of Procter &Gamble said 
that if Satan would prosper he would give his heart and soul to him. Then he 
gave Satan credit for his riches. Anyone interested seeing this tape, should 
send $3.00 to: SALLY TRANSCRIPTS
 515 WEST 57TH STREET NEW YORK NY 10019
  
 WE URGE YOU TO MAKE COPIES OF THIS AND PASS IT ON TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS 
POSSIBLE. THIS NEEDS TO STOP. LIZ CLAIRBORNE ALSO PROFESSES TO WORSHIP SATAN 
AND RECENTLY OPENLY ADMITTED ON THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
 THAT HALF OF HER PROFITS GO TOWARDS THE CHURCH OF SATAN. >>

Aspartame Hoax

March 2001

If you search the web for "aspartame" (also called NutraSweet) you will find dozens of websites devoted to the perceived horrors of this sugar substitute (Actually, you have to search for the misspelling, "asparatame" to find most of them). All of this seems to go back to a study done in 1996 where the increase in brain tumors was found to correlate with the increase in aspartame use. That study did not show any causal link, only that both brain tumors and aspartame use seemed to both be increasing at the same time. That correlation has since been broken as brain tumor rates have leveled off and aspartame use has continued to increase.

Around December of 1999, a letter started making the rounds of the Internet that claims that almost every ailment known to man is caused by aspartame. It was supposedly written by a Betty Martini who was supposedly lecturing at the World Environmental Conference. A second version of the letter is identical to the first but the author has been changed to a Nancy Markle. In this letter, aspartame is blamed for hundreds of aliment including multiple sclerosis. The title of the article claims that the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation and others are suing the makers of aspartame. However, the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation has disavowed any knowledge of a problem with aspartame and any relationship with the author. The letter also claims that it causes "memory loss, confusion, and severe vision loss" among diabetics but that has been debunked by the American Diabetes Association.

The FDA has attested to the safety of the chemical and if you check the scholarly studies listed at the following site http://www.aspartame.org/ you will not find any showing significant problems with its use. The worst that has been found are occasional headaches. The "research" on the Aspartame Horror sites is, for the most part, anecdotal. The UrbanLegends.com website does a really good job debunking this warning and the supposed facts it contains. It is also debunked at the Junk Science website.

Following is the Betty Martini version of the warning. The Nancy Markle version is identical but with Nancy Markle inserted as the author and the contact information is missing from the end. It is LONG but well worth the reading!

WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE and the MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS FOUNDATION
       & FDA IS SUING FOR COLLUSION WITH MONSANTO.
   Article written by Betty Martini

 I have spent several days lecturing at the WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL
CONFERENCE on ASPARTAME: Marketed as 'NutraSweet,' 'Equal,' and
'Spoonful.' In the keynote address by the EPA, they announced that
there was an epidemic of multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus, and
they did not understand what toxin was causing this to be rampant
across the United States.

 I explained I was there to lecture on exactly that subject. When the
temperature of Aspartame exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in
ASPARTAME coverts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in
turn causes metabolic acidosis. (Formic acid is the poison found in
the sting of fire ants.) The methanol toxicity mimics multiple
sclerosis; thus, people were being diagnosed with having multiple
sclerosis in error.  The multiple sclerosis is not a death sentence,
where methanol toxicity is.  In the case of systemic lupus, we are
finding it has become almost as rampant as multiple sclerosis,
especially Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers. Also, with methanol
toxicity, the victims usually drink three to four 12 oz.  Cans of them
per day, some even more. In the cases of systemic lupus, which is
triggered by ASPARTAME, the victim usually does not know that the
aspartame is the culprit. The victim continues its use aggravating the
lupus to such a degree, that sometimes it becomes life threatening.

 When we get people off the aspartame, those with systemic lupus
usually become asymptotic. Unfortunately, we cannot reverse this
disease.  On the other hand, in the case of those diagnosed with
Multiple Sclerosis, (when in reality, the disease is methanol
toxicity), most of the symptoms disappear. We have seen cases 
where their vision has returned and even their hearing has returned. 
This also applies to cases of tinnitus.

 During a lecture I said "If you are using ASPARTAME [NutraSweet,
Equal, Spoonful, etc.] and you suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms,
spasms, shooting pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, vertigo,
dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, joint pain, depression, anxiety
attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss, you probably
have ASPARTAME DISEASE!"

 People were jumping up during the lecture saying, "I've got this. Is
it reversible?" It is rampant. Some of the speakers at my lecture were
even suffering from these symptoms. In one lecture attended by the
Ambassador of Uganda, he told us that their sugar industry is adding
aspartame! He continued by saying that one of the industry leader's
son could no longer walk due in part to product usage! We have a very
serious problem.  Even a stranger came up to Dr. Espisto, (one of my
speakers) and myself and said, "Could you tell me why so many people 
seem to be coming down with MS?"  During a visit to a hospice, a nurse 
said that six of her friends, who were heavy Diet Coke drinkers, had 
all been diagnosed with MS. This is beyond coincidence. Here is the 
problem. There were Congressional Hearings when Aspartame was originally 
included as a sweetener in 100 different products. Since this initial 
hearing, there have been two subsequent hearings, but to no avail.

 Nothing has been done. The drug and chemical lobbies have very deep
pockets.  Now there are over 5,000 products containing this chemical,
and the PATENT HAS EXPIRED!!!!

 At the time of this first hearing, people were going blind. The
methanol in the Aspartame converts to formaldehyde in the retina of
the eye.  Formaldehyde is grouped in the same class of drugs as
cyanide and arsenic - DEADLY POISONS!!! Unfortunately, it just takes
longer to quietly kill, but it is killing people and causing all
kinds of neurological problems.  Aspartame changes the brain's chemistry.
It is the reason for severe seizures. This drug changes the dopamine
level in the brain. Imagine what this drug does to patients suffering
from Parkinson's Disease.  This drug also causes birth defects.
There is absolutely no reason to take this product. It is NOT A DIET
PRODUCT! The Congressional record said, "It makes you crave
Carbohydrates and will make you FAT."  Dr. Roberts stated that when
he got patients off aspartame, their average weight loss was 19 pounds
per person.

The formaldehyde stores in the fat cells, particularly in the hips and 
thighs. Aspartame is especially deadly for diabetics. All physicians
know what wood alcohol will do to a diabetic. We find that physicians
believe that they have patients with retinopathy, when in fact, it
is caused by the aspartame. The aspartame keeps the blood sugar
level out of control, causing many patients to go into a coma.
Unfortunately, many have died. People were telling us at the
conference of the American College of Physicians, that they had
relatives that switched from saccharin to an aspartame product and
how that relative had eventually gone into a coma. Their physicians
could not get the blood sugar levels under control. Thus, the patients
suffered acute memory loss and eventually coma and deatH Memory loss
is due the fact that aspartic acid and phenylalanine are neurotoxic 
without the other amino acids found protein.  Thus it goes past the 
blood brain barrier and deteriorates the neurons of the brain.

Dr. Russell Blaylock, neurosurgeon, said, "The ingredients
stimulates the neurons of the brain to death, causing brain damage of
varying degrees.  Dr. Blaylock has written a book entitled
"EXCITOTOXINS: THE TASTE THAT KILLS" Health Press 1-800-643-2665).
Dr. H J. Roberts, diabetic specialist and world expert on aspartame
poisoning, has also written a book entitled "DEFENSE AGAINST
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE" (1-800-814-9800). Dr. Roberts tells how
aspartame poisoning is escalating Alzheimer's Disease, and indeed 
it is.  As the hospice nurse told me, women are being admitted 
at 30 years of age with Alzheimer's Disease. Dr. Blaylock and 
Dr. Roberts will be writing a position paper with some case histories 
and will post it on the Internet.

According to the Conference of the American College of Physicians,
"We are talking about a plague of neurological diseases caused by this
deadly poison." Dr. Roberts realized what was happening when
aspartame was first marketed. He said, "His diabetic patients presented 
memory loss, confusion, and severe vision loss." At the Conference of the
American College of Physicians, doctors admitted that they did not
know.  They had wondered why seizures were rampant (the phenylalanine
in aspartame breaks down the seizure threshold and depletes
serotonin, which causes manic depression, panic attacks, rage and 
violence).

Just before the Conference, I received a fax from Norway, asking for a
possible antidote for this poison because they are experiencing so
many problems in their country. This "poison" is now available in 90
PLUS countries worldwide.  Fortunately, we had speakers and
ambassadors at the Conference from different nations who have pledged
their help. We ask that you help too. Print this article out and warn
everyone you know.  Take anything that contains aspartame back to the
store. Take the "NO ASPARTAME "TEST" and send us your case history. I
assure you that MONSANTO, the creator of Aspartame, knows how deadly
it is. They fund the American Association, American Dietetic
Association Congress, and the Conference of the American College of
Physicians. The New York Times, November 15, 1996, ran an article on
how the American Dietetic Association takes money from the food
industry to endorse their products. Therefore, they cannot criticize
any additives or tell about their link to MONSANTO.

How bad is this? We told a mother who had a child on NutraSweet to
get off the product. The child was having grand mal seizures every day.
The mother called her physician, who called the ADA, who told the
doctor not to take the child off the NutraSweet. We are still trying
to convince the mother that the Aspartame is causing the seizures.
Every time we get someone off of aspartame, the seizures stop. If the
baby dies, you know whose fault it is, and what we are up against.
There are 92 documented symptoms of aspartame, from coma to deatH
the majority of them are all-neurological, because the aspartame destroys
the nervous system.

Aspartame Disease is partially the cause to what is behind some of
the mystery of the Desert Storm health problems. The burning tongue and
other problems discussed in over 60 cases can be directly related to
the consumption of Aspartame product. Several thousand pallets of
diet drinks were shipped to the Desert Storm troops.  (Remember heat
can liberate the methanol from the aspartame at 86 degrees F.) Diet
drinks sat in the 120 degree F Arabian sun for weeks at a time on
pallets. The servicemen and women drank them all day long. All of
their symptoms are identical to aspartame poisoning. Dr. Roberts says
consuming Aspartame at the time of conception can cause birth
defects."

According to Dr. Louis Elsas, Pediatrician and Professor of Genetics,
at Emory University, In his testimony before Congress. The
phenylalanine concentrates in the placenta, causing mental
retardation. In the original lab tests, animals developed brain
tumors, phenylalanine breaks down into DXP, a brain tumor agent.)
when Dr. Espisto was lecturing on aspartame, one physician in the
audience, a neurosurgeon, said, "When they remove brain tumors, they 
have found high levels of aspartame in them." Stevia, a sweet food, 
NOT AN ADDITIVE, which helps in the metabolism of sugar, which would be
ideal for diabetics, has now been approved as a dietary supplement by the
FDA for years, the FDA has outlawed this sweet food because of their
loyalty to MONSANTO.

If it says "SUGAR FREE" on the label - DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.
Senator Howard Hetzenbaum wrote a bill that would have warned all
infants, pregnant mothers and children of the dangers of aspartame.
The bill would have also instituted independent studies on the
problems existing in the population (seizures, changes in brain
chemistry, changes in neurological and behavioral symptoms). It was
killed by the powerful drug and chemical lobbies, letting loose the
hounds of disease and death on an unsuspecting public. Since the
Conference of the American College of Physicians, we hope to have the
help of several world leaders.

Again, please help us, too. There are a lot of people out there who
must be warned, please let them know this information.  The author, Betty Martini, 
can be reached at 770-242-2599.

Spider in the Toilet Hoax

September 1999

The following message is totally false. According to the Entomology department at the University of California, Riverside, there is no such animal as a South American Blush Spider. There is also no Journal of the United Medical Association (JUMA), no Big Chappies restaurant at Blare Airport, no fact there is no Blare airport, and no Civilian Aeronautics Board (the Civil Aeronautics Board was disbanded in 1984). Beverly Clark is a line of wedding apparel and a Blush Spider is a cosmetological term referring to patches of tiny varicose veins on the surface of the skin. As mentioned at Urban Legends.com, "If you're attacked by one of these, I'd recommend calling a plastic surgeon rather than the exterminator..."

*************************************************************
WARNING:  From Texas A&M International University
*************************************************************
  
  An article by Dr. Beverly Clark, in the Journal of the United Medical
Association (JUMA), the mystery behind a recent spate of deaths has been
solved. If you haven't already heard about it in the news, here is what
happened.

  Three women in Chicago, turned up at hospitals over a 5-day period, all with
the same symptoms. Fever, chills, and vomiting, followed by muscular
collapse, paralysis, and finally, deatH There were no outward signs of
trauma. Autopsy results showed toxicity in the blood.

  These women did not know each other, and seemed to have nothing in common.
It was discovered, however, that they had all visited the same restaurant
(Big Chappies, at Blare Airport), within days of their deaths.  The health
department descended on the restaurant, shutting it down. The food, water,
and air conditioning were all inspected and tested, to no avail.

  The big break came when a waitress at the restaurant was rushed to the
hospital with similar symptoms. She told doctors that she had been on
vacation, and had only went to the restaurant to pick up her check. She did
not eat or drink while she was there, but had used the restroom.

  That is when one toxicologist, remembering an article he had read, drove
out to the restaurant, went into the restroom, and lifted the toilet seat.
Under the seat, out of normal view, was a small spider.  The spider was
captured and brought back to the lab, where it was determined to be the
South American Blush Spider (arachnius gluteus), so named because of its
reddened flesh color. This spider's venom is extremely toxic, but can take
several days to take effect.  They live in cold, dark, damp, climates, and
toilet rims provide just the right atmosphere.

  Several days later a lawyer from Los Angeles showed up at a hospital
emergency room. Before his death, he told the doctor, that he had been away
on business, had taken a flight from New York, changing planes in Chicago,
before returning home. He did not visit Big Chappies while there. He did, as
did all of the other victims, have what was determined to be a puncture
wound, on his right buttock.

  Investigators discovered that the flight he was on had originated in South
America. The Civilian Aeronautics Board (CAB) ordered an immediate
inspection of the toilets of all flights from South America, and discovered
the Blush spider's nests on 4 different planes!

  It is now believed that these spiders can be anywhere in the country. So
please, before you use a public toilet, lift the seat to check for spiders.
It can save your life!  And please pass this on to everyone you care about

Officer Sylvia Steele
Texas A&M International University
5201 University Blvd.
Laredo, Tx 78041-1999
956-326-2100

Roaches in the Tacos Hoax

October 1999

And another one for the exterminator.

Don't eat while you read this.
TRUE STORY:
HEY! HOW ABOUT TACO BELL?
This girl was really in a hurry one day so she just stopped
off at a Taco Bell and got a Chicken soft taco and ate it 
on the way home. That night she noticed her jaw was kind of 
tight and swollen. The next day it was a little worse so 
she went to her doctor. He said she just had an allergic 
reaction to something and gave her some cream to rub on her 
jaw to help. After a couple of days the swelling had just 
gotten worse and she could hardly move her jaw. She went 
back to her doctor to see what was wrong. Her doctor had 
no idea so he started to run some tests. They scrubbed out
the inside of her mouth to get tissue samples and they also 
took some saliva samples. Well, they found out what was wrong.
Apparently her chicken soft taco had a pregnant roach in it, 
then she ate it-the eggs then some how got into her saliva 
glands and well, she was incubating them. They had to remove 
a couple a layers of her inner mouth to get all the eggs out. 
If they hadn't figured out what was going on, the eggs would 
have hatched inside the lining of her mouth!!!!!!!!!!

She's suing Taco Bell! Of course.

If you need to find out more about this, it's in the Nov.
19th NY Times. If you still want Taco Bell after this one, 
you're really brave. PASS THE WORD AND BE VERY CAREFUL!

Roaches in the Glue Hoax

March 2001

Roach eggs in the envelope glue??? Oh come on. No one will believe that. Will they???

This is just another rewrite of the Roaches in the Tacos hoax above. Think about how many people lick envelopes every day. OK, got that in mind? Now, if this were really a problem don't you think it would be on the news every night? We would have the nightly "Roach Report" to list how many people were in the hospital with the dreaded Roach Tongue. Do you think you would be able to buy envelopes with lickable glue (all the companies would be sued out of business)?

A woman was working in a post office in California. One day she licked
the envelopes and postage stamps instead of using a sponge. That very
day the lady cut her tongue on the envelope. A week later, she noticed an
abnormal swelling of her tongue. She went to the doctor, and they found
nothing wrong.  Her tongue was not sore or anything. A couple of days 
later, her tongue started to swell more, and it began to get really 
sore, so sore, that she could not eat. She went back to the hospital, 
and demanded something be done.

The doctor took an x-ray of her tongue,and noticed a lump. He  prepared
her for minor surgery. When the doctor cut her tongue open, a live roach
crawled out. There were roach eggs on the seal of the envelope. The egg
was able to hatch inside of her tongue, because of her saliva. It was
warm and moist...

This is a true story reported on CNN.

Andy Hume wrote:  Hey, I used to work in an envelope factory. You
wouldn't believe the.....things that float around in those gum 
applicator trays. I haven't licked an envelope for years.

 To All:  I used to work for a print shop (32 years ago) and we were
told NEVER to lick the envelopes. I never understood why until I had 
to go into storage and pull out 2500 envelops that were already printed 
for a customer who was doing a mailing and saw several squads of roaches
roaming around inside a couple of boxes with eggs everywhere. They eat 
the glue on the envelopes. I think print shops have a harder time 
controlling roaches than a restaurant. I always buy the self sealing 
type. Or if need be I use a glue stick to seal one that has the type 
of glue that needs to be wet to stick.

PLEASE PASS THIS ON !!!!

Credit Info Opt Out Hoax

September 2001

This hoax was started by someone who has confused some federal laws. A very nice explanation of the confusion and the laws is available on the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse web site. First, companies have always been able to sell or give away information about you. A new law required companies to inform their customers as to what their privacy policies were by July 1, 2000. What they do with the information they collect from you must be disclosed in that policy. If you don't want them selling your personal information you must check each privacy policy for information on how to opt out or just not do business with them.

The phone number given in the hoax is used by the major credit reporting bureaus to allow you to opt out from receiving pre-approved credit offers. That is, credit card companies buy credit reports on you and use them to send you credit card offers. Opting out stops these offers.

A recent variant changed the date to July 1, 2001 and another changes it to July 1, 2002. Looks like every year someone is going to change the date and send it again. How about sending it to the trash instead.

There is also a warning on the Equifax site about this hoax.

Sent: Friday, August 24, 2001 12:58 PM

Subject: (no subject)

THIS LAW TOOK EFFECT ON JULY 1 AND YOU HAVE 60 DAYS TO "OPT OUT" 
I CALLED AND THE MESSAGE EXPLAINS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO. 

IMPORTANT 

Just wanted to let everyone know who hasn't already heard, the four major 
credit bureaus in the US. will be allowed, starting July 1, to release 
your credit info, mailing addresses, phone numbers..... to anyone who 
requests it. If you would like to 'opt out' of this release of info, 
you can call 1-888-567-8688. It only takes a couple of 
minutes to do, and you can take care of anyone else in the household while 
making only one call, you'll just need to know their social security number. 

Be sure to listen closely, the first opt out is only for two years, make 
sure you wait until they prompt you to press '3' on your keypad to 
opt out for good. 
Happy dialing! 


Pass this info on to every one you know. 

OutBack Steakhouse Hoax 2

September 2001

Here is another one by someone who really has it in for the Outback Steakhouse. Eating food that has been urinated on will not make you suddenly fall down sick as if you had been poisoned, at least as long as you don't know you are eating food contaminated with urine. You might get a disease later on if one of the people supplying the urine was sick but urine itself is not a poison.

This particular rumor, in various incarnations, has been around for years.

Forward this to everyone you know!!!
BEWARE!!

FOR ALL OF YOU OUTBACK LOVERS....

: Outback in Spartanburg
THIS IS CERTAINLY NO JOKE!

 A friend of mine went to the Outback Steak
House in Spartanburg Friday night to eat. She 
had to send her steak back 3 times before they 
finally had it cooked done as was requested to 
start witH A few hours later she became ill, so 
ill in fact they took her to the hospital. The 
doctor after an extensive evaluation determined 
it was some sort of food poisoning. It just
so happened she didn't eat all of her steak and
had taken some home so her husband went and got 
it, brought it to the doctor who in turn sent it 
for testing to see what kind of poisoning it was 
to treat her effectively. By now they have had to 
put her into intensive care. The results came 
back to the doctor Saturday afternoon and showed 
that there was URINE from at least  3 different 
individuals in the meat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Needless to say they are taking action against
the restaurant!!!!!  She was in a room this morning 
and expected to be released later today. If you
order at a restaurant and the order isn't right, 
just get your money back and leave,
DO NOT SEND YOUR FOOD BACK!!!!!!!

Fake Nostradamus Prophecies

September 12, 2001

It is hard to believe that after the horrific events of yesterday that someone would start a chainletter with fake prophecies in it in an attempt to make it appear that Nostradamus predicted these events. If you search the prophecies of Nostradamus, you won't find any of the text from this hoax nor anything close to it.

"In the City of God there will be a great thunder, two brothers torn apart
by chaos, while the fortress endures, the great leader will succumb. The
third big war will begin when the big city is burning on the 11th day of
the 9 month that...two metalbirds would crash into two tall statues in the 
new city and the world will end soon after" - Nostradamus 1654-

The flights that were Highjacked were from United and AA, they were
numbered as follows:

11, 93, 175, and 77
11 = Today's Date
9+3 = 12 = Tomorrow
1+7+5 = 13 = Thursday
7+7 = 14 = Friday

Hopefully this is a coincidence and the terrorists can't add. but if this
is correct there will either be acts of terrorism every day for the next few
days or a grand event the last day. pass it around . .

Missing at the WTC Picture Hoax

September 2001

This photo started making the rounds after the disaster at the World Trade Center. It is supposed to be of someone that was killed in the disaster but his camera survived. The photo is pretty obviously a fake. Look at the shadows on the person's face and compare them to the shadows on the airplane (look at the sides and in the engine cowls.) The person is illuminated from a point that is low and to the side of the photo while the plane is illuminated from a point that is high and in front of it. It is a little hard for the sun to be in two places at the same time. Other hoax sites that have looked at the photo point out a lot of other problems with it, such as the fact that the observation decks don't open until 9:30am, 30 minutes after this photo was supposed to have been taken. Also, the photo is looking north from the observation deck on the south tower but the south tower was hit by a plane coming from the south not from the nortH

We recently received a note from Jonathan Derden (We were initially contacted by his father - thanks Dad.) who recognized the airplane in the photo as one of his copyrighted photos. Jonathan's photo is reproduced here, with permission, following the faked photo. You can also view the original photo on Jonathan's website (http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=131660). If you compare the airplane in the two photos, you can see that they appear to be identical, including the small black object to the left of the tail (probably an open access door). Using a photo editor, someone removed the landing gear and all of the background around the airplane and then inserted it into a vacation photo taken from one of the observation decks of the World Trade Center. Jonathan also mentioned that one more way to know the photo is a fake is that the airplane is a 757 while the airplanes that hit the World Trade Center were 767s.

     This was just sent to me.....
          Take a look at this one!



This is just an astonishing picture.
...this was from a camera found in the wreckage of the WTC, developed
by the FBI for evidence and released on the net today....the guy still has
no name and is missing ...

Photo from www.airliners.net with permission. Copyright Jonathan Derden.

Dunkin Donuts Warning

September 2001

This one started making the rounds just after the tragedy of September 11. It is totally false. A reporter was in the indicated Dunkin Donuts store and saw none of the indicated actions.

See also Dunkin Donuts reply to the message.

Attention all Americans:

Boycott Dunkin Donuts!!

In Cedar Grove, NJ, a customer  saw the owner of a Dunkin Donuts store burn
the U.S. flag.  In another  Dunkin Donuts store in Little Falls, a customer
saw a U.S. flag on the floor  with Arabic writing all over it.

We are starting a nationwide boycott of  all Dunkin Donuts.  Please make
sure this gets passed on to all fellow  Americans during this time of
tragedy.  We Americans need to stick together  and make these horrible
people understand what country they are living in and  how good they used
to have it when we supported them.  Numerous fastfood  companies are at
Ground Zero, giving away free food to volunteers.  Where  is Dunkin Donuts
in all of this?

Boycott Dunkin Donuts!!!!!!  Pass  it on.............................

Disaster Hoax Spoof

October 2001

I just love it when someone writes a good spoof of a hoax, not only because it is fun to read but that it is the most effective mechanism I have seen for really killing a hoax message. Thanks to whomever wrote this.

Subject: Caution

I know a lot  of rumors have been going around about planned or possibly
planned terrorist  attacks.  Most of these e-mails I read and pretty
much go on about my  day.  This however sounds SERIOUS!

Don't go to the bathroom on October 28tH  CIA intelligence reports that
a major plot is planned for that day. Anyone who  takes a poop on the
28th will be bitten on the butt by an alligator. Reports indicate that
organized groups of alligators are planning to rise up into unsuspecting
American's toilet bowls and bite them when they are doing their dirty
business.

  I usually don't send emails like this,  but I got this information from
a reliable source. It came from a friend of a  friend whose cousin is
dating this girl whose brother knows this guy whose wife knows this lady
whose husband buys hotdogs from this guy who knows a shoeshine guy who
shines the shoes of a mailroom worker who has a friend who's drug dealer
sells drugs to another mailroom worker who works in the CIA building. He
apparently overheard two guys talking in the bathroom about alligators
and came to the  conclusion that we are going to be
attacked. So it must be true.

How Bud Handled It Hoax

November 2001

Here is another message related to September 11. According to Anheuser-Bush, they checked this out and can find no evidence that it ever happened.

How Budweiser handles those who laughed at those who died on 11
Sept 2001

Thought you'd like to know what happened in a town north of Bakersfield
California. After you finish reading this, please forward this story on
to others so that our nation and around the world will know about those who
laughed when they found out about the tragic events in New York, PA and
the Pentagon.

September 11th, a Budweiser employee was making a delivery to a
convenience store in a town called McFarland. He knew of the tragedy
that had occurred in New York. He entered the business to find two Arabs
whooping and hollering and really cheering it up. It was obvious
they were elated with what had happened earlier. The Budweiser employee went
to his truck called his boss and told him of the very upsetting event. He
didn't feel he could be in that store with those horrible people. His boss
told him, "Do you think you could go in there long enough to pull every
Budweiser product and item our beverage company sells there? We'll never
deliver to them again." The employee walked in, proceeded to pull every
single product his beverage company provided and left with an incredible
grin on his face. He told them never to bother and call for a delivery again.
Budweiser happens to be the beer of choice for that community. Just
letting you all know how Kern County handles this situation! Pass this
along. America needs to know that we're all working together.
Well, I need to add to this. My father in Nevada sent this to me. Fact
is, I live not too far from McFarland here in Central California, and I
heard about this at work the day after it happened. Seems a lot of
people from work frequented the store in question. But it didn't end there.
As Paul Harvey might say, here's the rest of the story...

Seems the Budweiser driver had friends...in particular, the Pepsi route
driver. The Bud driver called his Pepsi friend from his cell phone while
he was still at the store and told him what happened. Seems the Pepsi
driver called his boss, and received the identical orders the Bud driver did.
So Pepsi went in and took out everything in the store under their corporate
brand. And if you know Pepsico (Pepsi, Frito Lay, etc.), that's damn
near EVERYTHING. Last I heard, that store has no product, no customers (word
spreads fast in these small towns, y'know) and no hope. And I say good
riddance to bad rubbisH I hope they enjoyed their cheers...it's the
last they'll be doing in THIS country.

Harry Potter Hoax

September 2000

With the arrival of the Harry Potter movie, this old hoax has started making the rounds again. It was originally spotted a year ago (Sept. 2000) and quickly died out as people learned that it was simply a copy of an article from The Onion, a popular satire site. The article pokes fun at the popular books (that's why the call it satire). A variant of this hoax claims the American Family Association sent out a warning, which, according to the AFA website, is also false.

This is the most evil thing I have laid my eyes on in 10 years ...
and no one seems to understand its threat. The Harry Potter books are THE
NUMBER ONE selling children's books in the nation today. Just look at any
Barns & Noble or Waldenbooks storefront. Go to Amazon.com and read the
reviews. Hear the touting by educators and even Christian teachers about
how "It's great to see the youth so eagerly embracing the reading
experience!" Harry Potter is the creation of a former UK English teacher
who promotes witchcraft and Satanism. Harry is a 13 year old 'wizard.' Her
creation openly blasphemes Jesus and God and promotes sorcery, seeking
revenge upon anyone who upsets them by giving you examples (even the
sources with authors and titles) of spells, rituals, and demonic powers.  I
think the problem is that parents have not reviewed the material. The name
seems harmless enougH.. Harry Potter. But that is where it all ends. Let me
give you a few quotes from some of the influenced readers themselves: 
"The Harry Potter books are cool, 'cause they teach you all about magic 
and how you can use it to control people and get revenge on your enemies," 
said Hartland, WI, 10-year-old Craig Nowell, a recent convert to the 
New Satanic Order Of The Black Circle. "I want to learn the Cruciatus 
Curse, to make my muggle science teacher suffer for giving me a D."
[A 'muggle' is an unbeliever of magic.]

Or how about the REALLY young and innocent impressionable
mind of a 6 year old when asked about her favorite character:
"Hermione is my favorite, because she's smart and has a
kitty," said 6-year-old Jessica Lehman of Easley, SC. "Jesus died
because He was weak and stupid."

And here is dear Ashley, a 9 year old, the typical average
age reader of Harry Potter: "I used to believe in what they
taught us at Sunday School," said Ashley, conjuring up an
ancient spell to summon Cerebus, the three-headed hound of
hell.  "But the Harry Potter books showed me that magic is real,
something I can learn and use right now, and that the Bible is
nothing but Boring lies."

DOES THIS GET YOUR ATTENTION!! If not, how about a quote
from a High Priest of Satanism: "Harry is an absolute godsend to
our cause," said High Priest Egan of the First Church Of Satan in
Salem, MA. "An organization like ours thrives on new blood
- no pun intended - and we've had more applicants than we can
handle lately. And, of course, practically all of them are
virgins, which is gravy." [Since 1995, open applicants to
Satan worship has increased from around 100,000 to now... 14
MILLION children and young adults!]

It makes me physically ill, people! But, I think I can offer you an
explanation of why this is happening. Children have been
bombarded with action, adventure, thrills and scares to the
point Hollywood can produce nothing new to give them the
next 'higH' Parents have neglected to see what their children
are reading and doing, and simply seem satisfied that' Little Johnny
is interested in reading.' AND... educators and the NEA are
PUSHING this with NO WARNING as to the effects or the contents.
Still not convinced? I will leave you with something to let you make
up your own mind.

And finally, a quote from the author herself, J. K.Rowling,
describing the objections of Christian reviewers to her writings:
"I think it's absolute rubbish to protest children's books
on the grounds that they are luring children to Satan,"
Rowling told a London Times reporter in a July 17 interview.
"People should be praising them for that! These books guide
children to an understanding that the weak, idiotic Son Of God
is a living hoax who will be humiliated when the rain of fire
comes, ... while we, his faithful servants, laugh and cavort in
victory."

My hope is that you will see fit to become involved in
getting the word out about this garbage. Please FWD to
every pastor, teacher, and parent you know. This author
has now published FOUR BOOKS in less than 2 years of this
'encyclopedia of Satanism' and is surely going to write more.
I also ask all Christians to please pray for this lost woman's soul.
Pray also for the Holy Spirit to work in the young minds
of those who are reading this garbage that they may be delivered
from its harm.

Walmart Flags Hoax

Febuary 2002

The snopes site checked with Walmart on this one and found that Walmart does budget flags for each of their stores. There could be a lot of reasons a store didn't have a flag. For example, the store might have used up its budget on more important things, such as lighting in the parking lot. Making choices like this are a normal part of corporate life. The manager of the store might then have asked the employees if they would be willing to chip in to get a flag now, as opposed to waiting until next year. Whatever the reason, this rant shows a lack of understanding of corporate politics and budget management, and it is also wrong.

In terms of policies, the writer should have asked Walmart Corporate what their policies are, not some clerk who isn't even involved in the budgeting and policy decisions. I am constantly amazed at how many people claim "That's corporate policy" or "Thats a board policy" when trying to either deflect the blame for something they have done or when trying to force you to do it their way. In all, this is another one for the trash can.

Quite honestly, I had not noticed that Wal-mart does not fly our flag. What
a surprise. I have run across a situation that I think should be changed; it
upset me and so I decided to put it out on the Internet. If you decide to
forward this note to your friends, that's fine-if not, that's okay, too.

Maybe I'm wrong in feeling this way, but this is what I found on Friday,
October 12, 2001.

I ran to our local Wal-Mart store before I went to work. I needed a couple
of items before we left at noon for a short vacation. While I was being
checked out at the counter, I realized that I had not noticed an American
Flag flying outside and asked the clerk why there wasn't one.

I was told that the policy is that Wal-Mart does not provide flags to their
stores- rather, each store must provide their own-at this store, the
employees would have to take up a collection among themselves to make the
purchase of the flag, pole & flood light.

I was sure there was a misunderstanding in that policy somewhere, but needed
to hurry off to work, so I didn't pursue the problem. As I drove to work I
became more and more upset to think that the Company "seems" to encourage
patriotism and "Buy American" won't even, in these days of horror and
heroism and war on terrorism, provide their stores with flags to show their
support!! When I got to work I told my co-employees what I had found that
morning and they agreed that I must be mistaken-Wal-Mart would not have a
policy that made individual stores/employees purchase their own flag, "for
heavens sake"!!

My co-employees suggested I just call Wal-Marts corporate offices and there
I would discover the truth to this misunderstanding. So, I did. I called the
Corporate office and spoke to their representative.

By the way, their number is 1-800-Wal-Mart.

Do you know what I was told? I wasn't misunderstanding their policy! Each
store must provide their own flag-if the store can't fit the expense into
their budget, then the employees have to take up a collection.

Now, I find this a disgrace. I have always noticed the large flags flying at
every Perkins Pancake House-they always fly the flag, even when there isn't
a National Emergency. But here's Wal-Mart, the company who has become
wealthy beyond measure in this great Country of ours; who claims to be "one
big happy family", who recommends we "Buy American", but who cannot/will not
provide a flag pole/flag and light to each of their stores wherever they
are.

Would this be expensive? Oh, somewhat, I agree, but I hear that Wal-Mart is
planning to build many new stores in the near future and that, possibly,
they will make every existing store into a "super-store". Now, I realize
that expanding like that will bring in more money and make them wealthier
still- where providing flags to all their stores would only COST money and
not add money to their fortune. Maybe, just maybe, not providing flags to
their stores and not flying the flag in support of our Country will start
costing them more money-maybe I will start looking more closely for the flag
before I shop and begin supporting the smaller stores who don't worry so
much about the "bottom line", but rather are happy to spend some money to
show they really love America.

Do you think I am really way off base on this, or do you feel the same.
Thanks for taking the time to think about this with me-if you feel the same,
forward this on to your address list - if not, that's what your "Delete" is
for.

Progesterex Warning

March 2002

This warning sounds really serious until you realize that Progesterex does not exist. The University of Florida College of Pharmacy investigated it and could not find any drug with that name available anywhere.

WAY TOO CLOSE TO HOME!
this was sent by a friend.

Important notice

A woman at Gastown nightclub on Saturday night was taken
by 5 men, who according to hospital and police reports, gang raped
her before dumping her naked at Neutral Bay. Unable to remember
the events of the evening, tests later confirmed the repeat rapes
along with traces of rohypnol in her blood. Boyfriends,
take heed. Good guys out there, please forward this message to
your lady friends. Progesterex, that is essentially a small
sterilisiation pill. The drug is now being used by rapists at
parties to rape AND sterilize their victims.Progesterex is
available to vets to sterilize large animals.Rumour has it that
the Progesterex is being used together with Rohypnol, the date
rape drug. As with Rohypnol, all they have to do is drop it
into the girl's drink. The girl can't remember a thing the next
morning, of all that had taken place the night before.
Progesterex, which dissolves in drinks just as easily, is such
that the victim doesn't conceive from the rape and the rapist
needn't worry about having a paternity test identifying him
months later. The drug's effects AREN'T TEMPORARY. Progesterex
was designed to sterilize horses. Any female that takes it
WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO CONCEIVE. The crooks can get this drug from
anyone who is in the vet school of any university. It's that
easy, and Progesterex is about to break out big on campuses
everywhere. Believe it or not, there is even a site on the
internet telling people how to use it. Please forward this to
everyone you know, especially girls.

Hotmail My Account is Active Warning

March 2002

Hotmail have been receiving this message for about a year, warning them that their account will be removed if they don't pass this on to 15 other people. Someone went to a lot of trouble to draw up this image to look like a MSN announcement. None of this is true, of course.

And now a third warning in June 2002 to send this mail in the next 30 seconds or lose your account.

You have been caught by MSN. You have 30 minutes to send this to as
many people as u can including the person that sent it to you. You have
to do this or else have your account shut down for GOOD we are warning
you to do this. It's for your own good. If somebody does not get this
within the 30 days, there account will be shut down. MSN needs to find
out who is using there account.
Robert Nelson
MSN Director

Spunkball Warning

March 2002

Spunkball??? Sounds like a bad movie. Pretty scary huh? At least until you think about it a little. Imagine trying to soak a rag in gasoline and wrap it in tinfoil. What would you end up with? A tinfoil ball coated with gasoline and reeking with gasoline fumes. Consider now what happens when you bring a lit match near it? Poof, the teen attempting to throw the Spunkball goes up in flames. This is a self curing prank. Actually, this is an old one that keeps coming back in different variants.

Note that I contacted Allstate and they did not send this warning. A person at Allstate forwarded it with her signature attached, making it appear that it came from Allstate.

Subject: Alert from All State Insurance Co   

Subject:  Very Important 

Heard anything about this? Please keep all windows rolled up 
when stopped at traffic lights, as only cars with windows down 
are being targeted.  Groups of teenagers have been caught, in 
alarming numbers, playing a new and dangerous game called Spunkball. ! 

Spunkball consists of a group of teens in a car pulling up to 
a stoplight, and looking around for a car stopped near by with 
an open window. When one is spotted, the teens shout, "Spunkball", 
and throw a gasoline soaked rag that has been wrapped in aluminum 
foil through the open window. 

On the outside of the foil attached a small firecracker, with 
the fuse lit. When the firecracker explodes, it shreds the foil, 
and the rag is ignited, causing a large flame that may catch the 
interior of the car on fire. 

Spunkball playing has already claimed two lives, caused uncountable 
injuries due to burns, and caused thousands of dollars in damage to 
automobiles. The best defense, say authorities, is to keep all windows 
rolled up when stopped at traffic lights, as only cars with windows 
down are being targeted. 

If you are at a red light and hear a shout of "Spunkball", and notice 
something come flying in your window, the best thing to do is to have 
all passengers immediately exit the vehicle. DO NOT try to retrieve 
the object, as it will ignite once the firecracker explodes. 

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU CARE ABOUT. 

Bea xxxxxx, FCLS Allstate Insurance Co 

Universal Legend Spoof

April 2002

Anyone who has read this site knows how much I like a good spoof. The spoofs actually seem to do a better job at convincing people that what they are reading is not real then any bulletin I can send out. If you like spoofs, this one contains just about every urban legend and myth that you have ever seen, plus a few that you have not seen. Compose yourself, relax, take a deep breath and read the following Important Hoax Information!

Subject: Fw: Important Hoax Information!

The following was forwarded to me and it is absolutely true.  Everyone knows
that I don't send out erroneous emails.  This completely clears up all the
misunderstandings concerning internet hoaxes, conspiracy theories, pranks,
schemes etc.  Of course, the following information has been confirmed by CNN
and/or the United States government.  So next time you are unsure if an
email that you have received is true or not, please check with the following
to confirm its accuracy.  If you feel that any particular hoax or theory has
been left out, please email it to me with the details and I will include it
in future mailings.  Once again, the following is 100% true and well worth
the read.

P&G Flash Report
The KKK is endorsed by Procter and Gamble, who also supports the satanists,
and who sold Mrs. Field's cookie recipe to Neiman Marcus for $2,000 after
the kiddie tatoos laced with LSD that were supposed to be used for satanic
ritual abuse at that day care center in Beaufort were mistakenly eaten by
the choking doberman who was bitten by the snake that came out of the fur
coat that was worn by the escaped homicidal maniac whose hook prosthesis was
found hanging from the door of the car of the teenagers who high-tailed it
out of a lover's lane when they heard that he had escaped and then went to
the pot party where the kids who were supposed to be babysitting got high on
marijuana and were so stoned they accidentally put the baby in the oven
instead of the turkey that makes you sleepy because it contains tryptophan
because the microwave was ruined by the exploding poodle that the girl with
the beehive hairdo that turned out to contain roaches who had gotten an
automatic "A" at college because her roommate had committed suicide had put
in to dry after it had gotten wet chasing the vanishing hitchhiker who had
tried to warn the girl that her insides were cooked because she had stayed
too long under the sun lamp at the local tanning salon while her dad poured
a load of concrete into a new convertible parked outside of the house
because he thought it belonged to a guy who was having sex with his wife but
was really a prize he had won in a contest at that radio station that played
rock records that contained hidden commands and subliminal messages planted
by the Jews, international bankers, the Trilateral Commission, the Council
on Foreign Relations, the Illuminati, the New World Order, multinational
corporations, right wing militias, Jerry Falwell, the Christian Coalition,
Planned Parenthood, and the spooks at Hanger 18 of Area 51 in Dreamland who
performed the autopsies on the aliens who crashed at Roswell, New Mexico
while on a mission to abduct people and conduct weird sexual and
reproductive experiments on them because they knew we use only ten percent
of our brains and that engineers had "proven" that bumblebees can't fly and
that sugar wakes you up even if you're a CIA agent who has recovered
memories about conspiring with organized crime and anti-Castro extremists to
kill JFK with a magic bullet, and then killed dozens of other people whose
odds of all dying within the period in which they did are infintesimal even
if you don't count their near-death experiences in which an angel guided
them to the light before they were called back because it wasn't time for
them to die like Mikey from the Life cereal commercials did after eating Pop
Rocks(R) candy when his friend Alice Cooper who was Eddie Haskell on Leave
it to Beaver woke up after a one night stand in a hotel only to find that
the girl he was with was gone and had written "Welcome to the world of AIDS"
in lipstick on the bathroom mirror which terrified him because he knew that
it is just as easy to get AIDS from heterosexual intercourse as it is from
homosexual sodomy with an IV drug user because when the US government
created AIDS to commit genocide against blacks who aren't adversely affected
by the minimum wage with the aid of Korean grocers who don't give anything
back to the community they knew that Anne Klein had said on the Donahue show
that she didn't want blacks buying her clothes because when the poison they
put in that fried chicken at Church's so The Rich could keep the poor down
because they can't be rich if nobody is poor there would be a massive
coverup like the Philadelphia Experiment or the carburetor that can allow a
car to get 100 mpg in perpetual motion just like Nikola Tesla had done a
hundred years ago using the same principal that Uri Geller uses to bend
spoons and psychic friends use to give you valuable insights that improve
your life for amusement purposes only while smoking a cigarette that has no
more been proven to give you cancer than evolution has been proven to occur
because it's only a theory and there are no transitional fossils and it
violates the second law of thermodynamics unlike creation science which is
not religious and fear of irradiated food which is rational because we know
it's bad just like the assault weapons that are more dangerous than other
semi-automatic weapons because they look scary and ugly and they're ok to
ban because the second amendment wasn't meant to preserve the rights of
individuals against the state like the other nine amendments in the Bill of
Rights but instead is the only amendment designed to protect the state
against individuals because if there is no effective way to keep guns out of
the hands of criminals the next best thing is to keep them out of the hands
of law abiding citizens and make sure only the state has them because
countries where the state doesn't permit its citizens to own guns are never
oppressive and the government doesn't become arrogant and intractable and
corrupt because the government can improve our lives by suspending the laws
of supply and demand to make prices fair and deciding how many people of
each race and sex should be in colleges and jobs which is good because when
control of everyday life is centralized in the state the people who get to
make the decisions are never capricious or highhanded or make decisions
favoring their friends and family and people who pay them money because if
only we can get the right people into positions of control it will be safe
to let them run things because smart people can figure out how to allocate
resources and what fair prices are for goods and services and labor and who
should be allowed to do what much more efficiently and constructively than
just letting millions of people make their own decisions about what they
should eat or drink or smoke or for whom they should work for under what
conditions for how much money on what schedule based on their own
perceptions concerns and plans in accordance with their best interests.

But I digress . . . 

Prophecy from a Folded $20

June 2002

Coincidence or prediction? I was in a shop in Seattle that had a dozen different folded bills in a display that turned the pictures into all sorts of things. Some guy (or girl) spent all day folding a $20 until he got it to look like the WTC. How can it be a prediction if it was done nine months after the attack. I can predict things really good with that much leeway.

Now see if you can fold it into a chicken. What does that predict???

Run for the hills, the monster chickens are coming!!!

Coincidence or Prediction?

The new U.S. $20 dollar bill contains
hidden pictures of
the World Trade Center 
and Pentagon attacks!

Yes! see for yourself...

1st) FOLD A NEW $20 BILL THIS WAY

2nd) CONTINUE TO FOLD THIS WAY
Compare your fold precisely to this picture.

3rd) FOLD THE RIGHT SIDE UNDER,
exactly as you folded the left side.
You'll immediately see the Pentagon ablaze! (red circle)

4th) NOW FLIP IT OVER AND SEE OTHER SIDE

The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center are
hit and smoking.

What are the odds that a simple geometric folding of the $20 bill
would accidentally contain a representation of both terror attacks?
COINCIDENCE? YOU DECIDE!

Boycott Tommy Hilfiger Hoax

May 2002

Someone must not like designer cloths. According to Oprah's website: "For the record, the rumored event that has circulated on the Internet and by word-of-mouth never happened. Mr. Hilfiger has never appeared on the show. In fact, Oprah has never even met him."

 Good for Oprah!!!!
I'm sure many of you watched the recent taping of the Oprah Winfrey show
where her guest was Tommy Hilfiger. On the show, she asked him if the
statements about race he was accused of saying were true.  Statements
like"...if I'd known African-Americans, Hispanics, Jewish and Asians would
buy my clothes, I would not have made them so nice.  I wish these people
would *NOT* buy my clothes, as they are made for
upper class white people." His answer to Oprah was a simple "YES".  Where
after she immediately asked him to leave her show.
One suggestion?
Don't buy your next shirt or perfume from Tommy Hilfiger.  Let's give him
what he asked for. Let's not buy his clothes, let's put him in a financial
state where he himself will not be able to afford the ridiculous prices he
puts on his clothes.
BOYCOTT.
PLEASE SEND THIS MESSAGE TO ANYONE YOU KNOW

McDonalds Beef Warning

June 2002

Whoever wrote this didn't bother to check the facts before flying off the handle and spewing a bunch of half truths and inuendos about McDonalds. McDonalds has replied that yes, they are using a small amount of imported beef from Australia and New Zealand (not South America) and that it is heavily regulated. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the Nebraska Cattlemen are working with McDonalds and watching over the usage of foreign beef. An article by the National Beef Caeelemans Association discusses the hoax mail. In fact, McDonalds is exporting beef to South America not importing from there.

We as cattle producers are very passionate about this.
McDonald's claims that there is not enough beef in the 
USA to support their restaurants. Well, we know that 
is not so. My opinion is, they are looking to save money
at our expense. The sad thing of it is that the 
people of the USA are the ones who made McDonalds 
successful in the first place, but we are not good 
enough to purchase beef from.

We personally are no longer eating at McDonalds, which 
I am sure does not make an impact, but if we pass this 
around maybe there will be an impact felt. Please pass 
on your opinion.

Just to add a note; all Americans that sell cows at a 
livestock auction barn had to sign a paper stating that 
we do NOT EVER feed our cows any part of another cow. 
South Americans are not required to do this as of yet.

McDonalds has announced that they are going to start 
importing much of their beef from South America. The 
problem is that South Americans aren't under the same 
regulations as American beef producers and the 
regulations they have are loosely controlled. They can 
spray numerous pesticides on their pastures that have 
been banned here at home because of residues found in 
the beef. They can also use various hormones and growth 
regulators that we can't. The American public needs to 
be aware of this problem and that they may be putting
themselves at risk from now on by eating at good old 
McDonalds.

American ranchers raise the highest quality beef in the 
world and this is what Americans deserve to eat. Not beef 
from countries where quality is loosely controlled. 
Therefore, I am proposing a boycott of McDonalds until 
they see the light. I'm sorry but everything is not 
always about the bottom line, and when it comes to 
jeopardizing my family's health, that is where I draw 
the line!

I am sending this note to about thirty people. If each of 
you send it to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300) ... and 
those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000) ... 
and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth 
generation of people, we will have reached over THREE 
MILLION consumers! If those three million get excited and 
pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people
will have been contacted! If it goes one level further, 
you guessed it..... THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!!

Again, all you have to do is send this to 10
people. That's all. I'll bet you didn't think
you and I had that much potential, did you? Acting 
together we can make a difference.

If this makes sense to you, please pass this
message on.

Voting Rights Expire Warning

July 2002

Who thinks your voting rights can expire? Have you read the Constitution? Your voting rights cannot expire. Voting rights for all Americans regardless of race, color, or previous servitude are guaranteed by the 15th ammendment to the Constitution.

AMENDMENT XV

Passed by Congress February 26, 1869. Ratified February 3, 1870.

Section 1.
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude--

Section 2.
The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

The Civil Rights Act was written to enforce the provisions of Section 1 and is not expiring. What is changing is that some provisions of the act are up for review in 2007. The act itself does not expire.

Subject: AFRICAN AMERICAN VOTING RIGHTS EXPIRE IN 2007
  
Everyone please read this and pass it on to as many
African Americans you come in contact witH

  
Subject:  Camille Cosby's Speech Camille Cosby just made 
a reference about the Voting Rights Act in her most recent 
open letter on racism.  This is extremely important.
PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN!!!!!!

We are quickly approaching the 21st Century and we were 
wondering, and when I say we, I mean others of us out there 
who wonder if everyone else out there knows what the significance 
of the year 2007 is to Black America?

Did you know that our right to VOTE will expire in the year 2007? 
Seriously! The Voters Rights Act signed in 1965 by Lyndon B. 
Johnson was just an ACT. It was not made a law. In 1982, Ronald 
Reagan amended the Voters Rights Act for another 25 years. Which 
means that in the year 2007 we could lose the Right to vote! Does 
anyone realize that African Americans are the only group of people 
who require PERMISSION under the United States Constitution to vote!  
In the year 2007, Congress will once again convene to decide whether 
or not Blacks should retain the rights to vote (crazy but true). 
In order for this to be passed, 38 states will have to approve an 
extension. 
  
This is ludicrous! Not only should the extension be approved, but 
also the ACT must be made a law.  Our right to vote should no longer 
be up for discussion, review and/or evaluation. We just contact our 
Congresspersons, Senators Alderpersons, etc., to put a stop to this! 
As bona fide Citizens of  the United States, we cannot "drop the ball" 
on this one! We have come too far to let government make us take such 
a huge step backward.

So please, let us push forward to continue to build momentum towards 
gaining equality. Please pass this onto others, as we are sure that 
many more individuals are not aware of this. I urge all of  you that 
are able, to contact those in government that  have your vote and make 
them aware of our combined concern for this issue.

One voice!...... One Vote!

You cannot complain, if you do not participate... local, State, & national.
  
When I received this one I had no choice but to pass it on. Please do the same.

Canola Oil Warning

July 2002

This warning message about canola oil is filled with pseudo-science, unproven innuendo, and down right falsifications. An excellent debunking of this message is available on the about.com website.

Canola Warning Debunking.

Before you buy your next bottle of cooking oil... 
 
I think it's important that as many people as possible KNOW 
about the origins of this product.  Then, if you choose to buy it, 
at least you're doing so with your eyes open. 

RAPE IN A DIFFERENT GUISE 

Dear Editors 

Recently I bought a cooking oil that's new to our supermarkets, 
Canola Oil.  I tried it because the label assured me it was lowest 
in "bad" fats. However, when I had used half the bottle, I concluded 
that the label told me surprisingly little else and I started to wonder: 
where does canola oil come from?  Olive oil comes from olives, 
peanut oil from peanuts, sunflower oil from sunflowers; but what is a 
canola? There was nothing on the label to enlighten me, which I thought odd. 
So, I did some investigating on the Internet.  There are plenty of 
official Canola sites lauding this new "wonder" oil with all its 
low-fat health benefits. It takes a little longer to find sites that 
tell the less palatable details. 

Here are just a few facts everyone should know before buying 
anything containing canola.  Canola is not the name of a natural 
plant but a made-up word, from the words "Canada" and "oil".  Canola is a 
genetically engineered plant developed in Canada from the Rapeseed 
Plant, which is part of the mustard family of plants.  According to 
AgriAlternatives, The Online Innovation, and Technology Magazine for 
Farmers, "By nature, these rapeseed oils, which have long been used 
to produce oils for industrial purposes, are... toxic to humans and 
other animals". (This, by the way, is one of the websites singing the 
praises of the new canola industry.) 

Rapeseed oil is poisonous to living things and is an excellent 
insect repellent. I have been using it (in very diluted form, as per 
instructions) to kill the aphids on my roses for the last two years. 
It works very well; it suffocates them.  Ask for it at your nursery. 
Rape is an oil that is used as a lubricant, fuel, soap and synthetic 
rubber base and as a illuminate for color pages in magazines. It 
is an industrial oil. It is not a food.  Rape oil, it seems, causes 
emphysema, respiratory distress, anemia, constipation, irritability, 
and blindness in animals and humans.  

Rape oil was widely used in animal feeds in England and Europe between 
1986 and 1991, when it was thrown out. Remember the "Mad Cow disease" 
scare, when millions of cattle in the UK were slaughtered in case 
of infecting  humans? Cattle were being fed on a mixture containing 
material from dead sheep, and sheep suffer from a disease called 
"scrapie".  It was thought this was how "Mad Cow" began and started 
to infiltrate the human chain.  What is interesting is that when rape 
oil was removed from animal feed, 'scrapie' disappeared. We also 
haven't seen any further reports of "Mad  Cow" since rape oil was 
removed from the feed.  

Perhaps not scientifically proven, but interesting all the same.  
US and Canadian farmers grow genetically engineered rapeseed and 
manufacturers use its oil (canola) in thousands of processed foods, 
with the blessings of Canadian and US government watchdog agencies.  
The canola supporting websites say that canola is safe to use. They 
admit it was developed from the rapeseed, but insist that through 
genetic engineering it is no longer rapeseed, but "canola" instead. 

Except canola means "Canadian oil"; and the plant is still a rape 
plant, albeit genetically modified.  The new name provides perfect 
cover for commercial interests wanting to make  millions.  Look at 
the ingredients list on labels.  Apparently peanut oil is  being 
replaced with rape oil. You'll find it in an alarming number of 
processed foods. 

There's more, but to conclude: rape oil was the source of the 
chemical warfare agent mustard gas, which was banned after blistering 
the lungs and skins of hundred of thousands of soldiers and civilians 
during W.W.I.  Recent French reports indicate that it was again in 
useduring the Gulf War. 

Check products for ingredients. If the label says, "may contain 
the following" and lists canola oil, you know it contains canola oil 
because it is the cheapest oil and the Canadian government 
subsidizes it to industries  involved in food processing. 

I don't know what you'll be cooking with tonight, but I'll be 
using olive oil and old-fashioned butter, from a genetically 
unmodified cow. 

Here is more information.......... 
Canola oil from the rape seed, referred to as the Canadian oil 
because Canada is mainly responsible for it being marketed in the 
USA. The Canadian government and industry paid our Federal Food and 
Drug Administration (FDA) $50 million dollars to have canola oil 
placed on the (GRAS) List, "Generally Recognized As Safe".  Thus 
a new industry was created.  Laws were enacted affecting 
international trade, commerce, and traditional diets.Studies with 
lab. animals were disastrous.  Rats developed fatty degeneration of 
heart, kidney, adrenals, and hydroid gland.  When canola oil was 
withdrawn from their diets, the deposits dissolved but scar tissue 
remained on all vital organs.  No studies on humans were made before 
money was spent to promote Canola oil in the USA.  

Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is a rare fatal degenerative disease 
caused by a build up long-chain fatty acids (c22 to c28) which 
destroys the myelin (protective sheath) of the nerves. Canola oil 
is a very long chain fatty acid oil (c22).  Those who will defend 
canola oil say that the Chinese and Indians have used it for centuries 
with no effect, however it was in an unrefined form ( taken from 
FATS THAT HEAL AND FATS THAT KILL by Udo Erasmus).  My cholesterol 
level was 150. After a year using Canola oil I tested 260.  I 
switched back to pure olive oil and it has taken 5 years to get 
it down to160.  Thus began this project to find answers since most 
Doctors will say that Canola oil is O.K. 

My sister spilled Canola oil on a piece of fabric, after 5 
pre-treating and harsh washings, the oil spot still showed. She 
stopped using Canola oil, wondering what it did to our insides 
if it could not be removed from cloth easily.  Our Father bred 
birds, always checking labels to insure there was no rape seed 
in their food.  He said, "The birds will eat it, but they do 
not live very long.".  A friend, who worked for only 9 mo. as 
a quality control taster at an apple-chip factory where Canola 
oil was used exclusively for frying, developed numerous health 
problems.  These included loose teeth & gum disease; numb hands 
and feet; swollen arms and legs upon rising in the morning; 
extreme joint pain especially in hands, cloudy vision, constipation 
with stools like black marbles, hearing loss; skin  tears from being 
bumped; lack of energy; hair loss and heart pains.  It  has been 
five years since she has worked there and still has some joint 
pain, gum disease, and numbness.  A fellow worker, about 30 years 
old, who ate very little product, had a routine check up and found 
that his blood vessels were like those of an 80 year old man.  Two 
employees fed the waste product  to baby calves and their hair fell out. 
After removing the fried apple chips from the diet their hair 
grew back in. 

My daughter and her girls were telling jokes.  Stephanie hit 
her mom's arm with the back of a butter knife in a gesture, "Oh 
mom" not hard enough to hurt.  My daughters arm split open like it 
was rotten.  She called me toask what could have caused it. I said, 
"I'll bet anything that you are using Canola oil".  Sure enough, 
there was a big gallon jug in the pantry. 

Rape seed oil is a penetrating oil, to be used in light 
industry, not for human consumption. It contains a toxicsubstance. 
Even after the processing to reduce the erucic acid content, it is 
still a penetrating oil. We have  found that it turns rancid very 
fast. also it leaves a residual rancid odor on clothing. 

Rape seed oil used for stir-frying in China found to emit 
cancer causing chemicals.  (Rapeseed oil smoke causes lung cancer) 
Amal Kumar Maj. The Wall Street Journal June 7, 1995 pB6(W) pB6 (E) 
col 1(11 col in). Compiled by Darleen Bradley. 

Canola oil is a health hazard to use as a cooking oil or salad 
oil.  It is not the healthy oil we thought it was.  It is not fit 
for human consumption, do not eat canola oil, it can hurt you. 
Polyunsaturated or not, this is a bad oil. 

Be Sure to also read this informative report written by leading 
health expert Tom Valentine, Canola Oil Report. 

Go to Ask Jeeves yourself: http://www.askjeeves.com/  and type 
in (Where does Canola Oil come from?) and see what you come up witH 

Two-Way Mirrors Test

September 2002

The test described in this message would only tell you that you have a front surface mirror, not a two-way mirror. Front surface mirrors are normally used in telescopes so finding one in a bathroom would be extremely odd. Two-way mirrors are normal mirrors without the backing paint and this test won't tell you if the backing is missing.

Someone just sent this to me. I don't know if this is true or not, 
but thought I would pass it on.

How to determine if a mirror is 2-way or not. (Not a joke!) Not to 
scare you, but to make you aware. This was passed on by a policewoman 
who travels all over the US and gives seminars and techniques for 
business women.

HOW TO DETECT A 2-WAY MIRROR When we visit toilets, bathrooms, hotel 
rooms, changing rooms, etc., how many of you know for sure that the 
seemingly ordinary mirror hanging on the wall is a real mirror, or 
actually a 2-way mirror? (i.e., they can see you, but you can't see 
them.) There have been many cases of people installing 2-way mirrors 
in female changing rooms.

It is very difficult to positively identify the surface by just looking 
at it. So, how do we determine with any amount of certainty what type of 
mirror we are looking at? Just conduct this simple test: Place the tip 
of your fingernail against the reflective surface and if there is a GAP 
between your fingernail and the image of the nail, then it is a GENUINE 
mirror.

However, if your fingernail DIRECTLY TOUCHES the image of your nail, then 
BEWARE... FOR IT IS A 2-WAY MIRROR! So remember, every time you see a mirror, 
do the "fingernail test." It doesn't cost you anything. It is simple to do, 
and it might save you from getting visually raped! Remember: "No Space, 
leave the place!" Ladies: Share this with your girlfriends. Men: Share this 
with your wives, daughters, girlfriends or any woman you care about.

Having A Bad Day At Work

September 2002

This image was supposed to have been taken in Africa but why is the Golden Gate bridge in the background. This whole picture is a fake.

It has also been refuted on the National Geographic website.

CA-125 Blood Test Warning

September 2002

While we cannot tell if the woman's story described in the message is true, the CA-125 blood test described there is promoted by the American Cancer Society as an inexpensive method of monitoring the response of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. It is not promoted as a screening for cancer because of the large number of false positives and negatives.

According to the American Cancer Society,

Although the study finds the CA-125 blood test useful for evaluating treatment progress, the study results do not suggest the test can be used to screen for ovarian cancer. A recent email making the rounds urged women to ask their doctors for this test. For the CA-125 test to be a useful screening tool, it would have to detect most ovarian cancers in their early stages and not give positive results in women who do not have the cancer. The CA- 125 test does not meet these standards.

This is important to all of us.  Pass it on... 
********************************************************************* 

Subject:         Ovarian Cancer 

I hope you all take the time to read this and pass it on to all you 
can. Send this to the women in your life that you care about. 

Years ago, Gilda Radner died of ovarian cancer. Her symptoms were 
inconclusive, and she was treated for everything under the sun until it 
was too late. This blood test finally identified her illness but alas, too 
late. She wrote a book to heighten awareness. Gene Wilder is her 
widower. 

KATHY'S STORY: 

As all of you know, I have Primary Peritoneal Cancer. This cancer 
has only recently been identified as its OWN type of cancer, but it is 
essentially Ovarian Cancer. 

Both types of cancer are diagnosed in the same way, with the "tumor 
marker"  CA-125 BLOOD TEST, and they are treated in the same 
way-surgery to remove the primary tumor and then chemotherapy with 
Taxol and Carboplatin. 

Having gone through this ordeal, I want to save others from the same 
fate. That is why I am sending this message to you and hope you will print 
it and give it or send it via E-mail to everybody you know. 

One thing I have learned is that each of us must take TOTAL responsibility 
for our own health care. I thought I had done that because I always had 
an annual physical and PAP smear, did a monthly Self-Breas Exam, went to 
the dentist at least twice a year, etc. I even insisted on a sigmoidoscopy 
and a bone density test last year.When I had a total hysterectomy in 1993, 
I thought that I did not have to worry about getting any of the female 
reproductive organ cancers.LITTLE DID I KNOW. I don't have ovaries (and 
they were HEALTHY when they were removed), but I have what is essentially 
ovarian cancer. Strange, isn't it? 

These are just SOME of the things our Doctors never tell us: ONE out of 
every 55 women will get OVARIAN or PRIMARY PERITONEAL CANCER. The 
"CLASSIC" symptoms are an ABDOMEN that rather SUDDENLY ENLARGES and 
CONSTIPATION and/or DIARRHEA. I had these classic symptoms and went to 
the doctor. Because these symptom seemed to be "abdominal", I went to a 
gastroenterologist. He ran tests that were designed to determine whether 
there was a bacterial infection; these tests were negative, and I was 
diagnosed with "Irritable Bowel Syndrome". I guess I would have accepted 
this diagnosis had it not been for my enlarged abdomen. I swear to you, 
it looked like I was 4-5 months pregnant! I therefore insisted on more 
tests.They took an X-ray of my abdomen; it was negative. I was again 
assured that I had Irritable Bowel Syndrome and was encouraged to go on 
my scheduled month-long trip to Europe. I couldn't wear any of my slacks 
or shorts because I couldn't get them buttoned, and I KNEW something was 
radically wrong. I INSISTED on more tests, and they (reluctantly) scheduled 
me for a CT-Scan (just to shut me up,I think). This is wha! ! t I mean by 
"taking charge of our own health care". The CT-Scan showed a lot of fluid 
in my abdomen (NOT normal). Needless to say, I had to cancel my trip and 
have FIVE POUNDS of fluid drained off at the hospital (not a pleasant 
procedure, I assure you), but NOTHING compared to what was ahead of me). 
Tests revealed cancer cells in the fluid. Finally,finally, finally,the 
doctor ran a CA-125 blood test, and I was properly diagnosed. 

I HAD THE CLASSIC SYMPTOMS FOR OVARIAN CANCER, AND YET THIS SIMPLE CA-125  
BLOOD TEST HAD NEVER BEEN RUN ON ME, not as part of my annual physical 
exam and not when I was symptomatic. This is an inexpensive and simple blood 
test! 

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE TELL ALL YOUR FEMALE FRIENDS AND RELATIVES TO  INSIST 
ON A CA-125 BLOOD TEST EVERY YEAR AS PART OF THEIR ANNUAL PHYSICAL EXAMS. 

Be forewarned that their doctors might try to talk them out of it, saying, 
"IT ISN'T NECESSARY."Believe me, had I known then what I know now, we would 
have caught my cancer much earlier (before it was a stage 3 cancer). 

Insist on the CA-125 BLOOD TEST; DO NOT take "NO" for an answer! The normal 
range for a CA-125 BLOOD TEST is between zero and 35. MINE WAS 754 ..... 
(That's right,754!). 

If the number is slightly above 35, you can have another done in three or 
six months and keep a close eye on it, just like women do when they have fibroid 
tumors or when men have a slightly elevated PSA test (Prostatic Specific Antigens) 
that helps diagnose prostate cancer. 

Having the CA-125 test done annually can alert you early, and that's the 
goal in diagnosing any type of cancer - catching it early. 

Do you know 55 women? If so, at least one of them will have this VERY 
AGGRESSIVE cancer.Please, go to your doctor and insist on a CA-125 test and have 
one EVERY YEAR for the rest of your life. 

Forward this message to every woman you know, and tell all of your female 
family members and friends. Though the median age for this cancer is 56, (and, 
guess what, I'm exactly 56), women as young as 22 have it. Age is not a factor. 

A NOTE FROM THE RN: 
Well, after reading this, I made some calls. I found that the CA-125 test 
is an ovarian screening test equivalent to a man's PSA test prostate screen (which 
Ron's doctor automatically gives him in his physical each year and insurance pays 
for it).I called the general practitioner's office about having the test done. The 
nurse had never heard of it. She told me that she doubted that insurance would pay 
for it. So I called Prudential Insurance Co., and got the same response. Never 
heard of it - it won't be covered. I explained that it was the same as the PSA test 
they had paid for my husband for years. After conferring with whomever they confer 
with, she told me that the CA-125 would be covered. 

It is $75 in a GP's office and $125 at the GYN's. 

This is a screening test that should be required just like a PAP smear (a 
PAP smear cannot detect problems with your ovaries). And you must insist 
that your insurance company pay for it. 

Gene Wilder and Pierce Brosnan (his wife had it, too) are lobbying for 
women's health issues, saying that this test should be required in our 
physicals, just like the PAP and the mammogram. 

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO SEND THIS OUT TO ALL THOSE YOU CAN. BE IT MALE OR 
FEMALE, IT SHOULD NOT MATTER, AS THEY CAN FORWARD IT ON ALSO TO THOSE LOVED 
ONES THEY KNOW. 

IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH FORWARDING SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT AS THIS IS, 
HERE'S A LITTLE HINT THAT MAY ASSIST YOU WITH YOUR DECISION ~ JUST PRETEND 
THAT THIS IS A JOKE, WHICH IT CERTAINLY IS NOT AND SEND IT OUT TO ALL THE 
FOLKS YOU WOULD IF IT WAS. THANKS.  

Columbia Explosion Pictures

March 2003

I guess I should have expected it. There is some sick person out there who seems to think that faking pictures of the shuttle explosion is fun. These pictures were most likely swiped out of a recent movie.

It does not take much to determine that these are fake as there are a lot of things wrong with the pictures.

• The shuttle broke up in the atmosphere during reentry, these pictures are in space.
• During reentry, there is a ball of ionization around the shuttle and the leading edges of the wings are very hot. There is no ionization in these pictures.
• It is over the night side of the earth but the reentry occurred in the daytime.
• It was traveling at 12,000 mph in the atmosphere. That kind of a breeze would significantly streamline the debris field which you don't see in the pictures.

Attached are pictures of the Shuttle Explosion from an Israeli Satellite in 
space. They are from the Department of Justice in Washington D.C.