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 f