1. News & Issues
2000 Features...

12/18/00 - 'It's Not the People Who Vote That Count...'
A cynical quote about who determines the outcome of elections has been attributed to Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. But did he actually say it?

12/06/00 - Unhappy Meal
A mother in Virginia reportedly discovers a deep-fried chicken head in a box of McDonald's wings.

11/27/00 - The Revocation of Independence
Here's the inside scoop on the genesis of one of the more popular specimens of Net humor poking fun at the recent U.S. presidential election.

11/15/00 - Charity Hoaxes Tug at Heart Strings
The Rachel Arlington chain letter is the latest in a string of cynical hoaxes designed to mock our sympathy and eagerness to help the unfortunate. This "dying child" does not exist.

11/06/00 - 'Slave Reparations' Scams Target Black Seniors
Authorities say a decades-old false rumor that elderly African-Americans are due tax refunds based on a "Slave Reparations Act" is being exploited by con artists.

11/01/00 - Election Hoax Aims to Deceive Voters
A bogus email announcement from a nonexistent "Elections Commission" tells some U.S. voters to go to the polls on Wednesday instead of Tuesday.

10/30/00 - McEyeballs
From the mailbag: Is McDonald's the world's largest purchaser of cow eyeballs, or are we just hearing a new variant of an old urban legend?

10/25/00 - The Seventh-Inning Stretch
Does anyone really know when, where and how this baseball tradition began?

10/18/00 - Hillary Clinton and the Black Panthers
An email rumor demonstrating that age-old techniques for smearing the reputations of political candidates still work exceedingly well in the digital age.

10/11/00 - Why Friday the 13th Is Unlucky
Determining the origins of superstitions is an imprecise science, at best. In fact, it's mostly guesswork.

10/04/00 - Art Imitates Tabloids
From the Mailbag: What's the deal with this Website called "The First Human Male Pregnancy?"  Is this guy for real?

09/26/99 - The Secret Plot to Dump Dick Cheney
Are the Republicans cooking up a Machiavellian plan to win the U.S. presidential election in its final hours?

09/19/00 - A Diabolical Conspiracy
Congressional offices report receiving hundreds of queries from concerned citizens regarding rumors that a secret "back door bill" in the U.S. Senate will require the declaration of all guns on personal income tax forms next year.

09/11/00 - Lye, Lies and New Ultra Clorox
What would life on the Internet be without dire email warnings about the dangers of common household products?

09/04/00 - Is a Dog's Mouth Cleaner than a Human's?
If you don't mind my falling back on gut feelings, I'd rather be French-kissed by a human being than a dog any day.

08/28/00 - E-Petition to Save 'Bile Bears' in China
It's true that Asian black bears are treated inhumanely in Chinese factory farms, but can an email petition really help change this state of affairs?

08/21/00 - Citizens Against Breast-Feeding
Sign this petition if you want to help ban this "incestuous perversion" from the United States.

08/09/00 - Harry Potter and the Chain of Fools
A new email chain letter alleges that Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling is purposely trying to lure children into Satanism.

07/26/00 - Ogling Breasts Makes Men Live Longer
Just a few minutes a day, says the email rumor, can cut your risk of heart disease in half!

07/19/00 - Brain Floss
From the mailbag: Brain-eating snails, urethra-loving fish and a little-known fact about the JFK assassination.

07/12/00 - The Man Without a Face
Can you guess the name of the handsome leading man upon whose life The Man Without a Face was based?

06/28/00 - My Mother-in-Law Swears It's True!
From the Mailbag:  Evidence is mounting that Eddie Murphy is addicted to scaring white folks on elevators.

06/21/00 - No Fear Says: 'No Racism'
An email rumor targeted at African Americans claims that "No Fear" bumper stickers promote racism.

06/14/00 - Pump at Your Own Risk!
Another round of HIV needle-stick incidents, this time allegedly occuring at gas stations.

05/31/00 - Rumor of "Gay Jesus" Resurrected on the Net
Another "moral outrage" petition, this one inciting Christians to protest a nonexistent movie.

05/24/00 - The Knock-Out Perfume
Last year's rumor based on a news story in which a woman claimed to have been tricked into sniffing a drug that knocked her out has turned into a full-fledged urban myth.

05/11/00 - Another Urban Legend Come to Life?
A new iteration of the old tale about drug smugglers using the corpses of children to transport illegal substances across borders has surfaced in the Gulf Arab region.

05/08/00 - This One'll Kill You!
Beware the "Klingerman Virus!" It won't kill your hard drive, but it might kill you!

05/03/00 - Thank God It's Doomsday
Hope you've kept that stockpile of Cheez Whiz, folks! The world is coming to an end on May 5, 2000.

04/17/00 - Things That Really Suck
From the mailbag: Cats sucking the breath out of babies; pet disembowelment by vacuum cleaner; testimonial on the "curiously strong" effects of Altoids.

04/10/00 - Thousands Bite on 'Free Cell Phone' Hoaxes
Two new "email tracking" chain letters tempt the gullible.

04/03/00 - Fear of Licking
If you read this story, you will never lick an envelope again!

03/23/00 - 'Gas Out 2000' Update
Details of a proposed date change for the boycott; a brand new Website; Gas Out mania hits Australia and Mexico.

03/15/00 - Spunkball
A new email rumor claims that violent teens across America are tossing firebombs into random cars.

03/08/00 - 'Free Coke' Email Is Not the Real Thing
A new twist – get four free cases of Coca-Cola just for receiving a chain letter!

03/01/00 - GAS OUT 2000!
The Great Gas Out of 1999 inspires a sequel no less kooky but sure to be a hit.

02/24/00 - Earth Didn't Move for Astronauts, NASA Says
A new book based in part on a "secret document" found on the Internet says that astronauts conducted "sex experiments" in space.

02/23/00 - The Great Banana Scare of 2000
The "deadly bananas" email hoax continues to mutate as fast as health officials can debunk it.

02/17/00 - JFK: "I am a Jelly Donut"
People are still saying that John F. Kennedy's 1963 "Ich bin ein Berliner" statement was a linguistic flub.

02/09/00 - Monumental Rumor Sparks Fresh Research
Was the Statue of Liberty originally intended to commemorate emancipated black slaves?

02/03/00 - AOL ad Nauseam, Redux
Is AOL planning on charging an extra fee for the use of Instant Messages?

01/26/00 - My Cup Boileth Over!
Readers share their superheated reactions to last week's article.

01/19/00 - Can Microwaved Water Explode?
Email tale of a plausible but uncommon microwave mishap.

01/12/00 - Silliest, Scariest, Most Annoying...
Cast your vote for the top urban legends and hoaxes of 1999!

01/05/00 - The Curse of Frankenchicken
Was KFC forced to change its name from "Kentucky Fried Chicken" because the product it sells is actually a "genetically manipulated organism?"

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