Kill Whites on Freedom Day (South African SMS)

http://www.citizen.co.za/index/article.aspx?pDesc=123950,1,22

The Citizen [South Africa]
26 April 2010

Police probe SMS warning whites of ‘murder pamphlets’

CITIZEN REPORTER

JOHANNESBURG - The intelligence community is investigating the origins of a “mischievous” SMS that has sowed panic in Polokwane and prompted the provincial police commissioner to place his forces on high alert.

The SMS, which warns that there are pamphlets being distributed around Polokwane which are urging black people each to kill as many whites as possible during today’s Freedom Day celebrations, has been distributed countrywide over the past few days. [...]

School Panic Over Jashinist Hit List

http://www2.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/state_regional/article/school_panic_grew_from_wildly_overblown_story/35709/

NBC4i [Columbus, OH]

26 April 2010

School Panic Grew From Wildly Overblown Story

Media General News Service

BRISTOL, Va.—Amid rumors that a bloodthirsty vampire cult might ritualistically sacrifice their children to gain immortality, dozens of Wallace Middle School parents kept their kids home Friday. [...]

Money Hidden in Bible Undiscovered

Robert K. Dodge, Early American Almanac Humor (Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1987), p. 147.

A wild young fellow was going abroad: His mother took him up into her closet, telling him she had a precious treasure to deposit in his hands, and after many grave admonitions produced the Bible, handsomely bound in two volumes; and to crown all, advised him to consult and search the scriptures. Little did the youth know how precious the volumes were; but you shall hear. On his return from sea, the old lady one day took him aside, and hoped he had remembered the last instruction she had given him: "Yes," he could very honestly say he had taken care of the Bible. To prove his respect and obedience, he runs upstairs to his own room, and returns instantly, with the two volumes safe and sound.

The good lady pulls off one cover: "Rather too clean, my dear." "O madam, I took great care of them: the second volume is equally fair." She shakes her head; intimating her suspicions that they had not been read so often as she wished: Then opened the first volume, and, lo! a ten pound note is found; the second volume displays a second note, and of twice the value. She was confounded, and so was her son: and regrets that he did not search the scriptures. (The Columbian Almanac; or, The North American Calendar, for...1800)

A Mongrel Imposter

Robert K. Dodge, Early American Almanac Humor (Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1987), p. 22.

The Countess of Jervac, having some time since lost a favorite lapdog, desired a friend, on his next passing over the Pont-neuf, to replace it, by purchasing another from the people, who there vend these animals. The gentleman, accordingly bought for two Louis, the handsomest in the place. The Countess became instantly enamoured of the beauty of its colour, and the silkness of its coat. The new favourite was the admiration of every visitant, until one gentleman unfortunately observed that it had a little stiffness in its walk. The dear creature was taken up to examine into the cause of its lameness, when a seam presented itself running along the belly, which being rip't and pursued with great caution, out skipped a little black mongrel puppy. The Countess was astonished -- the visitors stared -- but the little animal himself, seemed greatly rejoiced at being released from the skin into which he had been inserted with so much ingenuity. (Wheeler's North American Calendar...for...1789)

Acid Rain Caused by Volcanic Ash

[The eruption of Eyjafjallajokull has been incorporated into acid rain rumors.]

http://www.globaltimes.cn/www/english/metro-beijing/update/society/2010-04/525217.html

Global Times [China]
23 April 2010

Acidic rumors refuted

By Li Shuang

An urban myth of cancerous volcanic acid rain has been doused by the Beijing weather bureau.

Volcanic ash will not reach the city and the rain that fell Thursday was not acidic, Beijing bureau meteorologist Zhang Mingying said. [...]

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2010/04/23/253610/Effects-of.htm

China Post [Taiwan]
23 April 2010

Effects of acid rain with ash rumor denied: expert

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- There is no need to panic over the online rumor that exposure to severe acid rain containing Icelandic volcanic ash would raise the possibility of getting skin cancer, an expert said yesterday. [...]

Bomb Shelter in Winnipeg School

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/lance/Mythbusting-at-Windsor-Park-Collegiate-91612134.html

Winnipeg Free Press [Manitoba, Canada]
22 April 2010

Mythbusting at Windsor Park Collegiate

By: Arielle Godbout

[...] Staff explained that since the school was built during the early years of the Cold War, the architect had designed a place to keep students safe in case of a nuclear attack.

The story of the bomb shelter [under the gymnasium] was so ingrained in the lore of Windsor Park Collegiate that [principal Marilyn] Thorington couldn’t believe the verdict after the Louis Riel School Division’s director of facilities examined the building’s blueprint.

"There’s no bomb shelter there," said Peter Kolba, who took a close look at the school’s plans earlier this month at the request of Thorington. [...]

Acid Rain Rumors (Arabian Gulf)

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/meteorologist-says-acid-rain-e-mail-and-sms-is-a-scam-1.615328

Gulf News [UAE]
21 April 2010

Meteorologist says acid rain e-mail and SMS is a scam

By Aftab Kazmi, Bureau Chief

Al Ain: Do not panic or believe the contents of an e-mail or SMS that you receive predicting acid rain in the Arabian Gulf. [...]

The false alert says the acid rain will fall during April 20 and April 28. The message says, "Be careful: There is a possibility of acid rain from 20th to 28th of this month. The dark circle appeared around the moon on 17th of last month and this was an indication of an acid rain. Apparently, this happens once in 750 years. It rains normally but it may cause skin cancer if you expose yourself to it. This is coming from Nasa, warn your family and friends." [...]

Census Worker Mistaken For Troll, Locked in Closet

http://www.ohio.com/news/91607564.html

Akron Beacon Journal [OH]
20 April 2010

Story of 'troll' held captive in Bath Township closet is a hoax

By Gina Mace
Special to the Beacon Journal

A little person working on the 2010 census who was held in a closet by a developmentally disabled man was released unharmed.

The man called his mother, who was shopping at a nearby grocery store, to tell her he had captured a troll and locked him in a closet. The man said he was feeding his captive M&Ms by pushing them under the door. [...]

The tipster who called the Beacon Journal newsroom Monday said the incident happened in Bath Township last week. [...]

Burundanga Warnings (Malaysia)

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/23ssw/Article/index_html

New Straits Times [Malaysia]
19 April 2010

Emails on rape drug 'make sense'

By Ben Tan

JOHOR BARU: Ever heard of burundanga?

It's not the name of a bird but a potent date rape drug. Stories about the drug are spreading like wildfire in cyberspace through the personal emails of Malaysians and Singaporeans.

The forwarded emails are of victims or near victims of rapes and date rapes that warn the public to beware of criminals using business cards laced with burundanga. [...]

Caltech Predicts Earthquake

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_14870731

Pasadena Star-News [CA]
12 April 2010

Internet quake rumor triggers calls to agencies

By Ruby Gonzales Staff Writer

PASADENA - Rumors spread like wildfire on the Internet and via text messages Monday about an impending earthquake, triggering a rash of calls to Caltech, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Pasadena Fire Department, officials said. [...]

"It's a rumor that Caltech is predicting a major earthquake and sent all employees home - not true," said Jon Weiner, director of media relations at Caltech. "We can't predict earthquakes, and we're not sending employees home." [...]

Bait Dog Fears (South Carolina)

http://www2.scnow.com/scp/news/local/pee_dee/article/pet_owners_fear_missing_animals_might_be_used_as_bait_dogs_for_illegal_dogf/116107/

Morning News [Florence, SC]
10 April 2010

Pet owners fear missing animals might be used as ‘bait dogs’ for illegal dogfights

Carlton Purvis/MORNING NEWS

[...] Ammons and other dog owners in the Pee Dee are concerned their missing dogs are being used to train dogs for illegal dogfighting rings. Although some say “bait dogs” are an urban legend, some residents whose dogs go missing under suspicious circumstances think otherwise.

But what looks like a string of dog thefts may be par for the course with the onset of warmer weather. [...]

Tom Jones, Chicken Thief

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/04/11/sir-tom-jones-chicken-tale-comes-home-to-roost-91466-26217301/

Wales on Sunday
11 April 2010

Sir Tom Jones chicken tale comes home to roost

by Keith Fairbank, Wales On Sunday

A VILLAGE’S Tom Jones gig has gone down in Valleys folklore nearly 50 years on – over the unsolved mystery of a missing chicken and the singer’s “lifetime ban”.

[According to legend, Tom Jones stole a fundraising raffle's top prize -- a chicken -- from the Fochriw Social Club in 1963. One villager remarks, "Nothing’s happened in Fochriw since Tom Jones took that chicken."]

"Bed, sir?"

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-if-the-best-tales-are-often-urban-myths-its-best-to-tell-them-as-if-theyre-true-1938516.html

The Independent [UK]
8 April 2010

Brian Viner: If the best tales are often urban myths, it's best to tell them as if they're true

The grand old man of English cricket, Sir Alec Bedser, died on Sunday. The obituaries have been extensive and properly reverential, so it falls to me to tell one of my all-time favourite stories of misunderstanding, featuring Bedser and his international teammate, the sublimely named Jack Crapp.

In 1948, the pair had played against one another in a county match, so travelled together up to a hotel in Leeds where they were due to join the rest of the England party, prior to a Test match at Headingley. When they got there, the receptionist didn't realise that they were England cricketers, and wondered whether they were checking in for an overnight stay.

"Bed, sir?" she enquired of one of them. "No, Crapp," he replied. The receptionist didn't bat an eyelid. "Through them doors and first on t' left," she said. [...]

Bracelet Game Ends in Rape (Utah)

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_14795132?source=most_viewed

Salt Lake Tribune [Utah]
31 March 2010

Police: Man let children watch other kids have sex
Clearfield » Suspect, others would watch teens through a peephole.

By Sheena McFarland
The Salt Lake Tribune

[...] The young teens would play a bracelet game, where the girl would wear both a white and black bracelet. If the boy broke the girl's black bracelet, the two would engage in sexual intercourse. If the white was broken, she would perform oral sex. [...]

http://www.standard.net/topics/sex-abuse/2010/03/31/police-bracelets-might-be-used-sexual-game

Standard-Examiner [Ogden, Utah]
1 April 2010

Police: Bracelets might be used for sexual game

By Loretta Park (Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau)

[...] In Clearfield, a 14-year-old girl reported to her mother she had been raped after she refused to have intercourse with a 15-year-old boy after he had snapped a black plastic bracelet off her arm, police said. [...]