About.com

Vampire Trap?

Sat, 18 May 2013 17:28:20 +0000

Via Facebook:

Were folks in the Victorian era really so scared of zombies and vampires that they built cages over gravesites to trap the undead? Answer here.

SCAM ALERT: 'Rapper Eminem Left Nearly Dead After Being Stabbed 4 Times in NYC!!'

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:35:12 +0000

Don't click on links to purporting to offer surveillance video of Eminem being stabbed four times by a crazed fan.

The story is false, the video doesn't exist, and the links actually redirect users to scam websites promising "free prizes" (which don't exist either) for completing an online survey.

Worse yet, users who comply with instructions to share said links via social media will suck their Facebook friends and Twitter followers into the scam as well. Don't do it!

An identical scam claiming Justin Bieber was the victim of a stabbing attack made the rounds in 2011. Even the photo was the same.

Tips & tricks:
• How to Spot a Facebook Survey Scam

Zebra of a Different Color

Thu, 09 May 2013 13:11:53 +0000

Meet Zoe, a "golden zebra" born on the island of Molokai in Hawaii. While Zoe is quite real, this widely circulated photo of her was manipulated by person(s) unknown to exaggerate her unusual markings. Read more...

Did NRA President Jim Porter Say 'It's Only a Matter of Time Before We Can Own Colored People Again'? No.

Wed, 08 May 2013 13:27:24 +0000

A "news article" making the rounds via social media quotes incoming NRA president Jim Porter as saying, "I don't have to clarify. You know gall darn well what I mean. In fact, it's only a matter of time before we can own colored people again. They sure as hell won't be our leaders."

For those of you gullible enough to believe Porter actually said this — and I've seen a few of you spouting off on Facebook and Twitter, so don't deny it — take note of the fact that the source of the quote, FreeWoodPost.com, is a humor website (read the disclaimer). The article is satirical.

Now, it's true that Porter, like his predecessor, has shown a propensity to make controversial statements — he actually does refer to the Civil War as the "War of Northern Aggression," for example, and has called Barack Obama "a fake President." But he has never advocated a return to slavery or ownership of "colored people."

Previous 'news' from the Free Wood Post:
• Mitt Romney: 'Of Course I'll Win, I'm the White Guy'
• Mitt Romney: 'Too Important to Go to Vietnam'
• Ann Romney vs. Equal Pay for Women

This Is Nancy Pelosi?

Fri, 03 May 2013 20:19:42 +0000

Via Facebook:

The Internet would have you believe that the swimsuit model in this 1950s-vintage photo is none other than Nancy Pelosi, the current minority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Could the Internet possibly be wrong? Yep.

Hottest Rumor on Facebook Says Facebook Is Shutting Down

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 15:41:13 +0000

According to a "news story" copied and pasted the Weekly World News and shared a gazillion times by Facebook users, CEO Mark Zuckerberg can't take the stress of running the company anymore and has decreed that Facebook will cease to exist as of May 15, 2013. Sound familiar?

To Protect and Serve

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 14:31:14 +0000

Authenticated: Viral photo of police officer delivering milk to a Watertown family during lockdown and manhunt following Boston Marathon bombings.

Boston Marathon Bombings

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:29:45 +0000

Alleged 8-Year-Old Bombing Victim

Status: False

The Man in the Red Shirt

Status: False

Mr. Rogers Quote: "Look for the Helpers"

Status: Authentic

Join Us on Facebook!

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:08:53 +0000

"Like" our Facebook page and get real-time updates on on all the latest rumors, Internet hoaxes, and urban legends. Click here!

Did a German Study Show that Looking at Busty Women for 10 Minutes a Day Is Good for Men's Health? No.

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:01:15 +0000

Nigerian Tribune, 4/12/13: "A German study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, concludes that staring at women's breasts for a few minutes daily is better for your health than going to the gym."

Daily Record and Sunday Mail, 7/9/11: "Just 10 minutes of looking at the charms of well-endowed females is equivalent to a 30-minute aerobics work-out," said author Dr Karen Weatherby, an expert on aging."

Fox News, 3/4/11: "Guys, listen up. A new study says it is actually healthy to stare at a woman's breasts."

Gullible men of the Internet, I regret to inform you that no such study exists.