New Urban Legends
Sun May 9 22:42:11 EDT 2010
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Legend in His Own Mind - Legend about a prisoner of war who played an imaginary round of golf each day of his captivity and found upon his release that he'd markedly improved his game.

Posh - Did 'posh' enter the English language as a shortening of "Port Out, Starboard Home"?

Mr. 880 - About a ten-year search for a counterfeiter of one-dollar bills.

Garage Banded - A police officer arrests a DUI suspect in the trooper's own garage.

Shell Shock - About a NASCAR superstition that peanuts in the shell are unlucky at auto racing events.

The Old One - Tale of a horse named 'The Old One' who rescued a herd from a burning barn.

Just Deserts - Is a person who gets what he deserves said to have received his "just desserts"?

Mississippi Tornado - Photograph of Iowa storm is recycled as a picture of a tornado in Mississippi.

Room Number Fraud - Scammers dupe hotel guests into giving up their credit card information.

Bottle Bombs - Message warns about plastic bottle bombs left in unsuspecting residents' yards.

Let Them Treat Skin - Did Thailand donate 50,000 bottles of whitening skin cream to Haitian earthquake victims?

Acid Rain Warning - Warning claims that a dark circle around the moon presages acid rain.

Playground Bears - Photographs show four black bears cavorting on a backyard playset.

Real Estate Tax - Does a provision of health care legislation impose a 3.8% sales tax on all real estate transactions?

Loonie Toonies - Rumor about fake $2 coins (toonies) circulating in Canada.

Wood Art - Photographs show furniture and a floating automobile carved from wood.

We Noticed - "We Noticed," an opinion piece critical of President Obama, is attributed to Buddy Hackett's widow.

Free Doritos Coupons - Can Internet-circulated coupons be redeemed for free bags of Doritos brand tortilla chips?

National Day of Prayer - Rumors claim President Obama canceled the National Day of Prayer.

Voluntary Movement - Is payment of U.S. federal income taxes voluntary?

Health Insurance Exemptions - Rumors claim Scientologists, Amish, Christian Scientists, and Muslims will be exempt from requirements to obtain health insurance.

Caltech Warning - Did Caltech send its people home on 12 April 2010 in anticipation of a major earthquake's striking the Los Angeles area?

Alexander Hall - Legend claims that Alexander Hall at Princeton University was built according to plans submitted by a failed architecture student who later paid for its construction.

Obamas at a St. Patrick's Day Party - Photograph purportedly shows the Obamas at a St. Patrick's Day party.

Cell Phone Credit - Old hoax makes new appearance - Cell phone text message promises $160 credit from ATT.

Taking License - Did Barack and Michelle Obama both surrender their law licenses for questionable reasons?

Buddhist Rampage in India - E-warning claims Buddhist extremists in India plan to burn down 200 churches and kill 200 missionaries within 24 hours.

Microchip Off the Block - Does health care reform legislation passed by Congress require that patients be implanted with microchips?

Eagle Scouts - E-mail charges that President Obama refuses to sign Eagle Scout certificates.

College Try - Were authors Dr. Seuss and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. college classmates and fraternity brothers?

Easter Lore - Superstitions and lore associated with Easter.

Tipping Point - Were Congressional concerns that stationing 8,000 Marines on Guam would cause the island to "capsize" real or an April Fool's jape?

America Scouts - Is the Obama administration planning to launch an 'America Scouts' youth program?

I'm Tired - Opinion piece by Robert A. Hall details political and social issues he's tired of.

Scarface - Video purportedly shows an elementary school stage production of Scarface.

Deep Freeze - Did a global warming activist freeze to death in Antarctica?

Chewed Out - Warning about dogs' dying after eating children's stuffed toys that contain flame-retardant materials.

Harvard Science Endowment - Is Harvard offering tuition-free education to African-American students majoring in the sciences?

Spokeo - E-warnings caution that your personal information may be viewable through the Spokeo aggregator site.

Olive Garden Facebook $500 Gift Card Offer - Are Olive Garden restaurants offering $500 gift cards for fans who sign up through their Facebook site?

Strongest Dog in the World - Photograph purportedly shows the "strongest dog in the world," who works "in the Russian army special forces."

Crosby and Higgins Copyright Infringement Notice - Phishing scheme: E-mail purports to be notification from the Crosby and Higgins law firm about a copyright infringement case.

They Might Be Giants - Updated version of an old photo hoax involving the purported discovery of a giant human skeleton.

Family Affair - Rumor claims the basketball coaching job of Craig Robinson, Michelle Obama's brother, was saved by the hasty procurement of $17 million in federal stimulus funds.

Overload of Malarkey - Ongoing hoax claims your free online service is overloaded and is about to cancel the accounts of users who don't forward or repost a particular message.

Straw Bedded - E-alert warns that cockroach eggs in drinking straws pose a danger to restaurant patrons.

Free Pastry Day - Is an Internet-circulated coupon good for a free pastry at Starbucks outlets on 23 March 2010?

Man of the Tablecloth - A young man having dinner with his fiancee's parents zips the tablecloth into his pants.

The Hole Story - Account describes form of theft in which thieves drill a hole under vehicle's door handle, break in, steal only one item, then use auto's GPS to locate car owner's home for future burglary.

Bump Truck - Video purportedly shows a truck pushing an automobile trapped in front of its grille.

The Body Under the Bed - Another reported case of a days-old corpse being discovered under the bed in a hotel room.

Girls Aloud - Photograph purportedly shows Girls Aloud posing at the Disney Kids Awards with removed underwear.

Sonny Tufts? - Did a celebrity guesting on a radio program once announce with bewildered amazement that the following week's featured star would be Sonny Tufts?

Just Like a Woman - Did a man sneak his way onto one of the Titanic's lifeboats by donning women's dress?

The WHY - Images purportedly show a distinctive 150-ft x 124-ft yacht known as a WHY.

Drastic Measures - Is your pet snake sizing you up as its next meal?

Welcome Home, Daddy! - Photograph purportedly shows a pregnant woman waiting to welcome home a husband who couldn't have fathered the child she's carrying.

WalMart Immigration Raids - Rumor claims WalMart has authorized U.S. law enforcement to enter their stores and arrest any illegal immigrants found within.

Dodge Ball - Video clip purportedly shows a wrecking ball smashing into a passing van.

Recreational Fishing Ban - Rumor claims President Obama has announced plans to ban recreational fishing in the U.S.