“Mommy … it hurts!” Those words struck fear into the heart of Kevin Archer’s mother … but that fear was nothing compared to the horror she felt the next day when she found her son dead of a heroin overdose. The child had been playing in a McDonald’s ball pit when a heroin-filled syringe had … Read more
An e-mail claiming that a new patriotic Pepsi soda can had the words “Under God” striken from its design is a hoax. Date collected: 8/12/2002 Pepsi has a new patriotic can coming out with pictures of the Empire State Bldg. and the Pledge of Allegiance on them. But Pepsi forgot two little words on the … Read more
Here’s the set-up: a helicopter is raising a diver up out of the ocean when suddenly an immense great white shark jumps out of the water for a quick (and fatal) bite. It sounds like a scene from a movie (say Jaws II or Deep Blue Sea, and it seems to unbelievable to be real. … Read more
An e-mail hoax is urging folks to find and delete the harmless “jdbgmgr.exe” file from their Windows-based computers. This self-induced minor lobotomy kills the Java Debugger Manager — which really is represented by a teddy bear icon — can cause certain Java applets (small programs in their own right — to act buggy. It’s not … Read more
An well-meaning email circulating on the net claims that coughing might just save your life if you’re suffering a heart attack. The science behind it is questionable, and some sources say it could actually kill you. Here’s the original e-mail: Date Captured: 3/8/2002 THIS IS NOT A JOKE – It may help you to save … Read more
An e-mail promising free Applebees gift certificates for forwarding it to your friends is a hoax. The e-mail is similar in spirit and syntax to a Cracker Barrel hoax that’s also circulating. And like that piece, the only thing this bit of annoying net-flotsam is good for is annoying your friends. Here’s the e-mail: Date … Read more
Forget the killer tomatos, the bananas are the ones you need to look out for. See they’ve already wiped out the monkey population in Costa Rica, and have landed advance troops in major North American cities. Run for your lives! Or not. You see, the “necrotizing fasciitis” infected bananas don’t exist. And now, two years … Read more
Mutant chickens are running amok in the fast food industry! In an effort to save costs, Kentucky Fried Chicken ditched its full name, switched to KFC and began using genetically engineer quasi chickens that taste like chicken, but are kept alive through dubious means. Unfortunately for chickens everywhere, this is a hoax. I first debunked … Read more
It’s been around on the net for years — AOL and Intel are merging, and they want to give you lots of money for forwarding their e-mail. Actually, they want Microsoft to give you lots of money. No, actually, it’s Microsoft that’s urging the forwarding, and Bill Gates is funding the exercise in personal, exponential … Read more
An e-mail hoax spawned by the aftermath of the horrible events of September 11th alleges that while American companies have given millions of dollars in response to the atrocity, foreign automobile companies have given nothing. It’s an outright lie. Contrary to the e-mail’s claims that only Volkswagen and Hyundai have given money, many (if not … Read more