The Incredible Story of the Protection of the Bulgarian Jews-Mostly Truth!

Summary of the eRumor: The eRumor says that all 50,000 Jews in Bulgaria, whose government sided with the Nazis during World War II, were saved from Nazi death camps. It tells how it happened and also says that one of the most famous immigrants from Bulgaria to Israel was a young graduate of the Bulgarian Military Academy who in Israel changed his name to Moshe Dayan.

The Truth: The story about the salvation of Bulgaria's Jews is true but this particular version of the story has some factual problems. The information about the famous Israeli military leader Moshe Dayan is not correct. He was not from Bulgaria. He was born on a kibbutz in Israel and his parents were immigrants from Ukraine. Also, the book that is referenced in the story is titled Beyond Hitler's grasp: The Heroic Rescue of Bulgaria's Jews and was written by Michael Bar-Zohar (Not Michael Bar Oar). According to Bar-Zohar, the Bulgarian government came along side of Hitler early in the war because King Boris III hoped it would help him reclaim the lost lands of Greece and Romania. Hitler demanded that Bulgaria deport its Jews but a combination of forces in Bulgaria prevented that from happening and, according to Bar-Zohar, the Bulgarian Jews were the only Jewish population under the Nazis to actually increase during World War II. The story of the saving of the Bulgarian Jews is not a new one but there has not been agreement of what the role of King Boris III was. Government documents about the Jews were sealed after World War II by the Communist government. But Bar-Zohar was able to search the now opened archives and to interview Bulgarian survivors. He says that the King did play a role along with politician Dimiter Peshev and the Metropolitan Stefen of the Bulgarian Orthodox church. Their efforts delayed action on deporting Jews from Bulgaria long enough until the war turned against the Nazis. Last updated 5/26/07

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

Beyond Hitler's Grasp A great many Jews know the story of how the Danes rescued 8,000 Jews from the Nazi's by smuggling them to Sweden in fishing boats. Very few Jews, know the story of how all 50,000 Bulgarian Jews were saved. Not a single Bulgarian Jew was deported to the death camps, due to the heroism of many Bulgarians of every walk of life, up to and including the King and the Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. In 1999, Abraham Foxman, the National Director of the Anti Defamation League flew with a delegation to Sophia to meet the Bulgarian Prime Minister. He gave the Prime Minister the first Bulgarian language copy of a remarkable book, "Beyond Hitler's Grasp," written in 1998, by Michael Bar Oar, a professor at Emory University. (A Bulgarian Jew who had migrated to Israel and then to the USA). This book documents the rescue effort in detail. The ADL paid for and shipped 30,000 copies to Bulgaria, so that the population could partake in the joy of learning about this heroic facet of their history. This story is clearly the last great secret of the Holocaust era. The story was buried by the Bulgarian Communists, until their downfall in 1991. All records were sealed, since they didn't wish to glorify the King, or the Church, or the non Communist parliamentarians, who at great personal risk, stood up to the Germans. And the Bulgarian Jewish Community, 45,000 of whom went to Israel after the War, were busy building new lives, and somehow the story remained untold. Bulgaria is a small country and at the outset of the War they had 8 million people. They aligned themselves with the Nazi's in hopes of recapturing Macedonia from Yugoslavia and Thrace from Greece. Both provinces were stripped from them, after W.W.I. In late 1942 the Jews of Selonica were shipped north through Bulgaria, on the way to the death camps, in sealed box cars. The news of this inhumanity was a hot topic of conversation. Then, at the beginning of 1943, the pro Nazi Bulgarian government was informed that all 50,000 Bulgarian Jews would be deported in March. The Jews had been made to wear yellow stars and were highly visible. As the date for the deportation got closer, the agitation got greater. Forty-three ruling party members of Parliament walked out in protest. Newspapers denounced what was about to happen. In addition, the Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Archbishop Krill, threatened to lie down on the railroad tracks. Finally, King Boris III forbid the deportation. Since Bulgaria was an ally of Germany, and the Germans were stretched militarily, they had to wrestle with the problem of how much pressure they could afford to apply. They decided to pass. Several points are noteworthy. The Bulgarian Jews were relatively unreligious and did not stand apart from the local populace by virtue of garb, or rites. They were relatively poor by comparison to Jews in other countries, and they lived in integrated neighborhoods. Additionally, the Bulgarians had many minorities, Armenians, Turks, Greeks, and Gypsies, in addition to Jews. There was no concept of racism in that culture. The bottom line here is that Bulgarians saw Bulgarian-Jews as Bulgarians, and not as Jews. And, being a small country, like Denmark, where there was a closeness of community, that is often missing in larger countries. So, here was a bright spot that we can point to as example of what should have been. The most famous of those saved was a young graduate of the Bulgarian Military Academy. When he arrived in Israel, he changed his name to Moshe Dayan..... What a great story to pass on to your e-mail list....

from:truthorfiction.com

Lock Bumping-a Threat to Security at Home or Office-Truth!

Summary of the eRumor: Stories, some with links to video reports, about a method of opening locks called "lock bumping," a simple way for the bad guys to be able to open locked doors.

The Truth: Lock bumping is real and also very simple and, as of February 2007, very well known because of the Internet. Stories began circulating about lock bumping and because it was not widely known and represented a real threat, folks forwarded the stories to friends and family as a warning to be aware of. Unfortunately, what also started circulating was detailed instructions about how to do lock bumping, which represented a threat in itself. A Dutch video that began making the rounds of the Internet in 2005 may have marked the start of the spread of interest in lock bumping. Lock bumping is a simple technique of opening what are called pin tumbler locks, which are the most common locks in use for residential and business doors. Bumping involves customizing the type of key that fits into the particular kind of lock then tapping or hitting the key in just the right way and at just the right moment to cause the lock to open, therefore the term "bumping." Bumping has become so popular that there are web sites that are openly selling bump keys for a variety of locks including a "bundle" of all of the keys for a special prices. A manufacturing company is selling a special bumping tool that is used to tap the bump key in a lock. The experts say that there are locks that are not vulnerable to lock bumping. Those include magnetic or electronic locks and locks using rotating disks. They are more expensive but worth it if you want to feel secure. Talk with your locksmith about the differences and what locks are recommended.

from:truthorfiction.com

High School Officials Pull the Plug on Valedictorian Because of Religious Content of Her Speech-Truth!

Summary of the eRumor: A story of Brittany McComb, a Nevada teen who was valedictorian of her high school graduating class. The text of her speech had been edited by both the school administration and the ACLU and she was told to remove references to the Bible and to Christ that were in her remarks. When the time came for her speech, however, she left them in and the P.A. microphone was cut off just before she said the word "Christ."

The Truth: The story is true and the text of the eRumor is from a release by the American Family Association, which asked for names to be added to a petition to protest the action by school officials. The incident took place at Foothill High School in Henderson, Nevada, which is part of the Clark County School District. According to an article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal on June 17, 2006, the school officials felt they were on good ground to kill the microphone. They had reviewed the speech. told McComb that it went across the line, and had warned her what would happen if she disregarded them. They wouldn't object to a reference to religion in McComb's speech, but they said that her text was preaching her religion and amounted to proselytizing. Her speech included scripture references, nine mentions of God, two mentions of the Lord, one mention of Christ, and a phrase, according to the article, that talked about "God's love being so great that he gave his only son to suffer an excruciated death in order to cover everyone's shortcomings and forge a path to heaven." The administration said that if they had allowed the speech as written it would have violated court decisions against school sponsored advocacy of religion. McComb, who is scheduled to attend Biola University in California in the Fall, said she thought about it and decided that the logic and freedom of speech she had been taught at the school should apply to her graduation address as well. Updated 6/22/06

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

Brittany McComb was the valedictorian at Foothill High School recently. She graduated with a 4.7 GPA. She earned the right to address the other graduates at Foothill, located in Henderson, Nevada. She gave a copy of her graduating speech to the school administrators. It contained some Biblical references and even mentioned (one time) the name “Christ.” The school administrators censored some of the Biblical references. They also censored the single reference to Christ. Then the school officials handed the speech over to the ACLU for approval and/or more censoring. After getting the OK from the ACLU, Brittany’s speech (minus the censored references to the Bible and Christ) was approved. Brittany was warned that if she deviated from the ACLU approved language, her mike would be cut off. Then came the moment for the big decision. She would not bow down, she decided. She would go with her original version. She stepped to the mike and began her speech. But just before she could utter the name “Christ,” her mike went dead. School officials silenced her. The crowd of 400 jeered for several minutes, angry at the action of the school officials. The ACLU was happy. They had silenced another Christian. “I went through four years of school at Foothill and they taught me logic and they taught me freedom of speech. God’s the biggest part of my life. Just like other valedictorians thank their parents, I wanted to thank my lord and savior,” Brittany said. Because she refused to bow down to the ACLU’s idol of gold, she did not get her wish. She was censored. This young heroine deserves praise and a thank you from those who believe in free speech.

from:truthorfiction.com

German Bridge That Is For Boats-Truth!

Summary of the eRumor: The email includes a picture of what appears to be a bridge for boats! It says the bridge is over the River Elbe and joins the former East and West Germany, part of a unification project.

The Truth: The bridge is known as the Magdeburg Water Bridge and provides a link between two German shipping canals, the Elbe-Havel canal and the Mittellandkanal. It's the longest and largest boat bridge in the world. Connecting the two important canals has been envisioned since the early part of the last century and construction was actually begun in the 1930's but was hindered by two world wars and then the Cold War that split Germany into the East and the West. The bridge is a kilometer long and cost more than $500 million Euros. Without the bridge commercial traffic was dependent on the Elbe river, which was not reliable throughout the year because of occasions of low water levels, and which sometimes stranded boats and barges.

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

Water Bridge in Germany.... What a feat! Six years, 500 million euros, 918 meters long.......now this is engineering! This is a channel-bridge over the River Elbe and joins the former East and West Germany, as part of the unification project. It is located in the city of Magdeburg, near Berlin. The photo was taken on the day of inauguration. To those who appreciate engineering projects.....

from:www.TruthOrFiction.com

New Boeing 797 Giant "Blended Wing" Passenger Airliner-Fiction!

Summary of the eRumor: The story says that the Boeing Company is developing a radical new passenger jetliner that will carry 1,000 passengers. It's designated the 797 and is a "blended wing" design looking a lot like the old flying wing experiments of the 50's.

The Truth: TruthOrFiction.com went straight to the source, the Boeing Company. A spokesperson said that it is not true that Boeing is developing a commercial blended wing aircraft. He asked that we help stop the perpetuation of the story. What is true, according to Boeing, is that Boeing Phantom Works, the company's advanced research and development organization, is doing research on the blended wing body design as a potential military aircraft. Boeing has built a scale model to test its low-speed flying characteristics in a wind tunnel. There are also plans (as of 7/13/07) to flight test a scale model. Updated 7/14/06

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

Subject:: Boeing 797 Boeing to take on Airbus with (1000 seat) giant 797 Blended Wing plane Boeing is preparing a 1000 passenger jet that could reshape the Air travel industry for the next 100 years.The radical Blended Wing design has been developed by Boeing in cooperation with the NASA Langley Research Centre.The mammoth plane will have a wing span of 265 feet compared to the 747's 211 feet, and is designed to fit within the newly created terminals used for the 555 seat Airbus A380, which is 262 feet wide.The new 797 is in direct response to the Airbus A380 which has racked up 159 orders, but has not yet flown any passengers.Boeing decide to kill its 747X stretched super jumbo in 2003 after little interest was shown by airline companies, but has continued to develop the ultimate Airbus crusher 797 for years at its Phantom Works research facility in Long Beach, Calif. The Airbus A380 has been in the works since 1999 and has accumulated $13 billion in development costs, which gives Boeing a huge advantage now that Airbus has committed to the older style tubular aircraft for decades to come.There are several big advantages to the blended wing design, the most important being the lift to drag ratio which is expected to increase by an amazing 50%, with overall weight reduced by 25%, making it an estimated 33% more efficient than the A380, and making Airbus's $13 billion dollar investment look pretty shaky. High body rigidity is another key factor in blended wing aircraft, It reduces turbu lence and creates less stress on the air frame which adds to efficiency, giving the 797 a tremendous 8800 nautical mile range with its 1000 passengers flying comfortably at mach .88 or 654 mph (+-1046km/h) cruising speed another advantage over the Airbus tube-and-wing designed A380's 570 mph (912 km/h) The exact date for introduction is unclear, yet the battle lines are clearly drawn in the high-stakes war for civilian air supremacy.

from:truthorfiction.com

Help Find Ashley Flores-Fiction!

Summary of the eRumor: The eRumor includes a picture and says it is of a 13-year old girl named Ashley Fores who has been missing for two weeks. She is said to be the daughter of a deli manager for Acme markets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

The Truth: TrtuthOrFiction.com has not been able to find any evidence of a missing 13-year old named Ashley Flores. The Philadelphia police department says it knows nothing of her. A spokesperson for Acme Markets in Philadelphia says people have been contacting them to offer help, but they know nothing of a missing Ashley Flores either. This eRumor not only has all the ingredients of a hoax but even uses some of the wording from two other widely circulated eRumors about missing children that are also hoaxes. We're looking into reports that Ashley Flores is real and that this may have originated as a joke. Last updated 5/22/06

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

please look at the picture, read what her mother says, then forward his message on. Maybe if everyone passes this on, someone will see this child. That is how the girl from Stevens Point was found by circulation of her picture on tv. The internet circulates even overseas, South America , and Canada etc. Thanks Please pass this to everyone in your address book. We have a Deli manager (Acme Markets) from Philadelphia , Pa who has a 13 year old daughter who has been missing for 2 weeks. Keep the picture moving on. With luck on her side she will be found. "I am asking you all, begging you to please forward this email on to anyone and everyone you know, PLEASE. My 13 year old girl, Ashley Flores, is missing. She has been missing for now two weeks. It is still not too late. Please help us. If anyone any where knows anything, please contact me at: HelpfindAshleyFlores@yahoocom I am including a picture of her. All prayers are appreciated!! " It only takes 2 seconds to forward this. If it was your child, you would want all the help you could get.

from:truthorfiction.com

Enter your ATM Pin Number Backwards to Summon Police-Fiction!

Summary of the eRumor: An alert that if you ever find yourself in a scary situation at a banking ATM machine, such as a thief forcing you to withdraw cash, just enter your personal identification number (PIN) backwards. That will automatically send a message to the police that you are in trouble and they will respond to the machine. The eRumor says that most people don't know about this.

The Truth: The eRumor is false because there isn't anywhere that we could find where this emergency procedure at ATM machines is actually being used. There is a seed of truth to it, however, in that the idea has been floating around for a while. One of the biggest proponents has been in Illinois attorney named Joseph Zingher. He says the notion came to him when he was a law student at the University of Illinois and one evening was withdrawing money from an ATM in a scary part of town. He patented his concept in 1998 and has been trying to talk banks into using it ever since. Under Zingher's system, every ATM account would have two PIN numbers---the normal PIN used to withdraw money and what he calls the "ATM SafetyPIN" to alert police that something bad was happening at the ATM. It has also come to be popularly called the "Panic PIN." The SafetyPIN would typically be the reverse of the normal PIN number or some other variation that would be easy to remember. Legislation was passed in Illinois that would allow banks to adopt the system, but did not mandate it. So far, no banks or financial institutions have done so. Zingher has offered to let Illinois-based banks to use it for free but some of them have said they think it would be too expensive and that ATM crime is not frequent enough. Zingher says that ATM crime is much higher than believed because not all crime reporting reflects whether it has taken place in connection with an ATM or forced withdrawal of cash. Updated 10/26/06

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

FYI- If you are ever forced to withdraw monies from an ATM machine, you can notify the police by entering your Pin # in reverse. The machine will still give you the monies you requested, but unknown to the robber, etc, the police will be immediately dispatched to help you. The broadcast stated that this method of calling the police is very seldom used because people don't know it exists, and it might mean the difference between life and death. Hopefully, none of you will have to use this, but I wanted to pass it along just in case you hadn't heard of it. Please pass it along to everyone possible.

Forward an Email for Polish Burn Victim Alexandra-Fiction!

Summary of the eRumor: A picture of a burned infant girl with the story that her name is Alexandra and she was injured in a house fire in Poland. She's being cared for in Cracow but her care is expensive and her parents are not able to keep paying. You are asked to forward the email and they will receive 3 cents for each forwarded email to apply to Alexandra's care.

The Truth: This is a hoax. There is no system being used on the Internet that traces the pathways of forwarded emails to compensate anybody. Additionally, if this is a patient from Poland she is probably receiving treatment through the government's National Health Fund. We don't know where the picture came from or who the girl is in the picture, but whoever decided to fabricate this eRumor apparently doesn't care that she is being dishonored and put on display for sake of a joke. If anybody knows who is in this picture, let us know so we can give her the dignity of a name and correct information about who she is and what happened to her. Updated 12/12/06

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

Dear All, Alexandra came out of a rigging fire alive, but now has to fight for her life and a normal future. She is 14 months old and she has burnt skin all over her body, damage facial bones (as a result of very high temperature). She does not have half of her face. She is in hospital in Cracow - Poland and one of the best specialist is looking after her. However she still has to go through many surgeries and then long rehab. Unfortunately her parents do not have any more money. Therefore we are asking for your help. For each forwarded email her parents will get 3 cents. Please help them and forward that email to as many people as you can.

Injuries on Children Caused by ScotchBrite Easy Eraser or Mr. Clean Magic Eraser-Truth! & Fiction!

Summary of the eRumor: There are apparently different versions of this but they all warn that children can experience injuries on the skin from the ScotchBrite Easy Eraser or the Mr Clean Magic Eraser. One of the eRumors says that Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is being removed from store shelves because of containing formaldehyde.

The Truth: The bottom line is that there is a first-hand story of a child who experienced skin irritation from a ScotchBrite Easy Eraser but there is dispute about whether it was from chemicals or the abrasive action of the product from being rubbed on the skin. The story about Mr. Clean Magic Eraser being removed from the market is not true. Procter & Gamble Mr Clean Magic Eraser The eRumor claims that the Magic Eraser contains formaldehyde. If you review the government-required Material Safety Data Sheet, you see that one of the ingredients is "Formaldehyde-Melamine-Sodium Bisulfite Copolymer." That's the name of the entire ingredient and it's different than if the product had formaldehyde alone, according to Procter & Gamble. A company release said that "...the word 'formaldehyde' is in its chemical name. However, this ingredient is not formaldehyde and poses no health or safety risks. (Think of this name like 'sodium chloride', which is table salt. Sodium by itself can be dangerous, but sodium chloride - salt - is safe.)." The company said that any formaldehyde found on its product would be in tiny amounts and a result of the manufacturing process and would be "actually less than what is found in indoor air." Procter & Gamble denies that there is any danger from the product and adds "In fact, no ingredients in Magic Eraser are subject to any health-related labeling laws in North America or in the European Union." ScotchBrite Easy Eraser The text of the eRumor about a mother's experience with the ScotchBrite Easy Eraser is authentic. It's a first-hand account from the woman who runs a website named Kerflop. Don't know if that's her last name but her first name is Jessica and the text of the eRumor is posted on her site. The incident took place in 2006. She describes how her son (picture below) got "large, shiny, blistering red marks... across his cheeks and chin" from apparently rubbing a ScotchBrite Easy Eraser on his face. She got advice over the phone from a poison center, which told her that products like the Easy Eraser and Magic Eraser "...have a pH of 8 - 10 and can cause chemical burns." They gave her first-aid instructions. She then took her son to a hospital for treatment. It is her contention that the product contained "a harmful alkaline or "base" chemical (opposite of acid on the pH scale) that can burn your skin." She describes his injuries as "chemical burns." We have not found any experts who would agree with the comment from the poison control center that a pH of 8 - 10 can cause chemical burns." The pH scale measures the range of acidity on one hand and alkalinity on the other. The scale ranges from 0 to 14. At the 0 end is solutions that are very acidic. Lemon juice is about a 2, vinegar is around 3,. Pure water has a neutral pH of 7, which is and some soaps range up to a pH of 9. Although her story is about ScotchBrite's Easy Eraser, she makes reference to the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser as well and notes that the original packaging of each did not include any warnings of harm from their use on the skin. The 3M company's Material Safety Data Sheet shows that the product is made of polyurethane foam and melamine foam. No other chemicals are listed. The sheet does indicate that there can be "mechanical abrasion" and Kerflop says that in January she got a note from 3M that said: "We have addressed the issue and are taking steps to change the packaging to warn other consumers of the potential reaction to using the product on the skin." Updated 7/25/07

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

eRumor #1 IF YOU ARE USING MR. CLEAN MAGIC ERASERS....STOP! HI EVERYONE, JUST WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT I AM A HUGE FAN OF MAGIC ERASERS.....HOWEVER, I HAVE A FRIEND THAT TOOK ENGINEERING IN SCHOOL AND HE NOW WORKS FOR A HUGE COMPANY IN HALIFAX AND THEY GET THE HEADS UP ABOUT PRODUCTS BEFORE ANYONE ELSE.WELL HE CALLED ME LAST NIGHT REGARDING MAGIC ERASERS AND SAID THAT THEY ARE SLOWLY BEING BANNED BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN THE INGREDIENT FORMALDEHYDE. YES THE CHEMICAL THEY USE TO PRESERVE DEAD PEOPLE. IT IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS TO YOUNG CHILDREN AND CAN BE HARMFUL TO YOURSELF, SO PLEASE IF YOU ARE USING THEM, THROW THEM AWAY, DON'T BUY THEM ANYMORE AND PLEASE SEND THIS ON TO ANYONE WHOM YOU THINK MIGHT USE THEM, ESPECIALLY WITH YOUNG CHILDREN. eRumor #2 Chemical Burns to Children One of my five year old's favorite chores around the house is cleaning scuff marks off the walls, doors, and baseboards with either an Easy Eraser pad, or the real deal, a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I purchased a package of Magic Erasers ages ago when they first came out. I remember reading the box, wondering what the "Magic" component was that cleaned crayon off my walls with ease. No ingredients were listed and absolutely no warnings were on the box, other than "Do not ingest." My package of the Scotchbrite Easy Erasers didn't have a warning either and since my child knew not to eat the sponges and keep them out of reach of his little brother and sister, it was a chore I happily let him do. If I had known that both brands (and others like them) contain a harmful alkaline or "base" chemical (opposite of acid on the pH scale) that can burn your skin, I never would have let my little boy handle them. As you can see from the picture, when the Scotchbrite Easy Eraser was rubbed against his face and chin, he received severe chemical burns. At first, I thought he was being dramatic. I picked him up, put him on the counter top and washed his face with soap and water. He was screaming in pain. I put some lotion on his face - more agony. I had used a Magic Eraser to remove magic marker from my own knuckles a while back and I couldn't understand why he was suddenly in pain. Then, almost immediately, the large, shiny, blistering red marks started to spread across his cheeks and chin. I quickly searched Google.com for "Magic Eraser Burn" and turned up several results. I was shocked. These completely innocent looking white foam sponges can burn you? I called our pediatrician, and of course got sent to voice mail. I hung up and called the Hospital and spoke to an Emergency Room nurse. She told me to call Poison Control. The woman at Poison Control said she was surprised nobody had sued these companies yet and walked me through the process of neutralizing the alkaline to stop my son's face from continually burning more every second. I had already, during my frantic phone calling, tried patting some numbing antibiotic cream on his cheeks, and later some Aloe Vera gel - both resulted in screams of pain. The Poison Control tech had me fill a bathtub with warm water, lay my son into it, cover him with a towel to keep him warm and then use a soft washcloth to rinse his face and chin with cool water for a continuous 20 minutes. My son calmed down immediately. He told me how good it felt. I gave him a dose of Tylenol and after the twenty minutes was up, he got dressed in his Emergency Room doctor Halloween costume and off we went to the Hospital. They needed to make sure the chemical burn had stopped burning, and examine his face to determine if the burn would need to be debrided (from my fuzzy recollection of hospital work, this means removing loose tissue from a burn location). My son was pretty happy at the hospital, they were very nice and called him "Doctor" and let him examine some of their equipment. The water had successfully stopped the burning and helped soothe a lot of the pain. I'm sure Tylenol was helping too. They sent us home with more Aloe Vera gel, Polysporin antibiotic cream, and some other numbing burn creams. By the time we got home, my son was crying again. I tried applying some of the creams but he cried out in pain. Water seemed to be what worked the best. After a rough night, I took the above photo in the morning. He was swollen and wouldn't move his lips very much to avoid moving the skin on his taut cheeks. I was fighting back the tears, and I said, "Oh honey, I wish I could take it away from you. I wish I could take it off your face and put it on mine." He was so shocked, he started to tear up a little and said, "Mom, no. You don't want this on your face, it hurts so much. You would be hurting. Last night was terrible, I couldn't sleep, and you wouldn't be able to sleep either." It just broke my heart into five trillion pieces - as much as he is hurting, he wouldn't want me to be hurting in his place. Today he is doing much better. The burns have started to scab over, and in place of red, raw, angry, skin we have a deeper red, rough healing layer. I can touch his skin now, without it stinging, and this morning he went back to Pre-School with Polysporin rubbed all over his face. He announced to the class, "I brought my face for Show and Tell!" -- Note - he was doing fine as of Friday. Kudos to this diligent parent for informing us all.

from:truthorfiction.com

Young Girl with Serious Health Problems from Drinking Milk From Wal-Mart-Unproven!

Summary of the eRumor: The story of an 11-year-old girl who has had menstrual bleeding since she was 8 and has also started lactating. The eRumor says it is because she's been drinking milk injected with rBST, a hormone given to cows to increase their milk production. The eRumor focuses on Wal-Mart Great Value milk as a source of the rBST and recommends against feeding it to your family.

The Truth: There is controversy over rBST, which stands for recombinant bovine somatotropin. It is an artificial growth hormone used in cows. We've not found the family of Marissa, the 11-year old girl referenced in the eRumor. If she is real her family's suspicions are worthy of consideration but do not constitute proof that what they describe has been caused by ingesting milk from Wal-Mart. There are other conditions that can cause early menstruation such as hypothyroidism. Also, although there are fears there is not scientific agreement about whether rBST is harmful to humans. RBST is a synthetic version of bST or BGH, a natural growth hormone in cows which, among other things, affects the amount of milk produced by a dairy cow. Use of bST to increase milk production has been around since the 1930's then along then the synthetic version came into popularity. Critics of the use of rBST say that it is banned for use in cattle in virtually every major country in the world except the United States. They point out that there is an increase in health problems in cattle that produce the most milk so the use of rBST should be avoided on that ground. Supporters say rBST helps dairy farmers with better milk yield and that there has not been any proof that the hormone causes problems in humans. It is approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Although this eRumor focused on Wal-Mart milk there are several different milk companies that use cattle treated with rBST and Wal-Mart also sells milk from cows that are not injected with it. Because of the controversy over rBST a lot of the milk products without it are labeled as such and are not hard to find. Updated 9/26/07

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

Subject: Fw: WALMART MILK Health Warning - rBST in Great Value [Wal-Mart] Milk Please read this and pass along to as many people....Mitzi Lyons, her husband is Kyle, live here in Gainesville , TX . Their 11 yr old daughter, Marissa, for THREE years (since she was 8) has incurred menstrual problems (bleeding several more days than a regular menstrual cycle each month) and within the last year she started producing milk. Her doctors have performed every test, many surgeries, put her on birth control and the last straw was a hysterectomy in January. Mitzi's dad started research on the internet of his granddaughter's problem and found out about rBST in milk (injecting cows with steroidal hormones so they will produce more milk). Doctor's were skeptical if this could be "why" this little girl was experiencing these problems as it was approved by the FDA. Wal-Mart Great Value milk is the kind that the Lyon 's family has always drank. Borden milk and many other brands does not have rBST in it. Her doctor's in Houston are going to write a medical journal discovery on her, because FDA says that rBST is safe for humans. Her doctor's have also discovered that there a handful more girls around her age out there, in other states, that are experiencing the same issues and have reason to believe it is also from the rBST injections in some cows. So far, there aren't any cases in boys. One girl in Michigan was at the point to go through a hysterectomy as well; but they decided to completely take her off Great Value milk (after discovering the rBST) for three months to see if there would be any changes; she quit bleeding and lactating. Mitzi asked me to please share this with everyone I could think of to hopefully save someone the pain and suffering that Marissa has endured. We're hoping soon this will be in the news around the nation and that Wal-mart will take the rBST out of their milk. I have pulled my family from Wal-Mart Great Value Milk and bought Borden and Borden has a label on their milk that says rBST not used on their cows. We're doing everything we can to alert people of what's been going on and to be sure to read milk labels before you buy it no matter what brand it is, as we are unsure at this time if Wal-mart is the only company doing this or if there may be more. Children in today's society already experience puberty at a younger age than we did as adolescence. Please pass this on......just in case!

from:truthorfiction.com

The Seagull That Steals Doritos-Truth!

Summary of the eRumor: An animated file that shows a seagull walking through the open door of a market and stealing a bag of Dorito chips. It is said to happen at a store in Scotland and that the gull does it on a regular basis.

The Truth: The pictures are authentic and the story is true. According to the BBC the gull has been walking through the door of RS McColl newsagents in Aberdeen, Scotland since the beginning of July, 2007. When the coast looks clear and the shopkeeper is looking the other way, the seagull walks over to a display of snack foods and always takes the same thing--a small personal sized bag of cheese Doritos chips. He's been nicknamed Sam and has become a local celebrity. Customers who are entertained by the bird have even started paying the store for the bags that have been stolen. Once the bird takes the Doritos, he goes outside near the store, opens the bag, and shares it with other birds that join him in the feast. Updated 9/25/07

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

A seagull in Scotland has developed the habit of stealing chips from a neighborhood shop. The seagull waits until the shopkeeper isn’t looking, and then walks into the store and grabs a snack-size bag of cheese Doritos. Once outside, the bag gets ripped open and shared by other birds. The seagull’s shoplifting started early this month when he first swooped into he store in Aberdeen, Scotland, and helped himself to a bag of chips. Since then, he’s become a regular. He always takes the same type of chips. Customers have begun paying for the seagull’s stolen bags of chips because they think it’s so funny.

from:http://www.truthorfiction.com/

Pink Dolphins?-Truth!

Summary of the eRumor:
A forwarded email with pictures of what the message says is a rare pink dolphin.
The Truth:
The pictures and the story are true. As indicated in the eRumor, the original pictures were taken on June 17, 2007 by Captain Erik Rue of Calcasieu Charter Service, a company that does hunting and fishing charter trips in Louisiana.

The pictures were taken on Lake Calcesieu, an estuary north of the Gulf of Mexico in Southwestern Louisiana.

There is a species of what is called "pink dolphin" that lives in South America in the Amazon river. This sighting in Louisiana, however, is considered rare because it appears to be a bottlenose dolphin but pink ones are virtually never seen.

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:
Extremely Rare And Beautiful Pink Dolphin Spotted

Picture provided by: by Capt. Erik Rue of Calcasieu Charter Service

This extremely rare and beautiful "pink dolphin" was spotted and photographed by Capt. Erik Rue of Calcasieu Charter Service on June 24th, 2007 during a charter fishing trip on Calcasieu Lake south of Lake Charles, LA.

It appears to be an uncanny freak of nature, an albino dolphin, with reddish eyes and glossy pink skin. It is small in comparison to the others it is traveling with and appears to be a youngster traveling with mama. After spotting the beautiful mammal cruising with a pod of four other dolphins, Rue and his guests Randy and Peyton Smith and Greg and Sam Elias of Monroe, LA idled nearby while watching and photographing the unusual sight for more than an hour.

Our expectations are high that we will see this amazing mammal again as it was in an area frequented by the gentle mammals and one confirmed report has it being spotted at least a month earlier in a nearby location. If it does turn up again, it will be a welcome surprise to our guests.


Marine Biologist Dagmar Ferti told ESPN that it was an albino calf and that bottlenose calves don't have much blubber so the the blood circulating under the skin is more visible, especially if the calf had been working hard to swim. He said this sighting was only the third that he knows of in the Gulf of Mexico. There have been 13 total sightings dating back to 1962.

There is also a species of Humpback dolphin called the Indo-Pacific Humpback dolphin found mostly in Southeast Asia. Some of them have pink-colored skin because of blood vessels used for keeping the body temperature cool during exertion. One of them became a celebrity in Thailand and also a focus of controversy. The dolphin got caught in fishing nets during the summer of 2007 and ended up in a resort on the island of Samui in Southern Thailand. When reports surfaced that the dolphin was being trained to entertain tourists an outcry rose among animal rights activists. The government says the dolphin is scheduled to be rehabilitated and released back into the the gulf of Thailand by early 2008.

Getting AA Batteries from 6-volt Lantern Batteries-Unproven!

Summary of the eRumor:
The eRumor includes a link to a video that shows how to take apart a 6-volt lantern battery to find 32 AA sized batteries inside. A way to save money?
The Truth:
If there is a 6-volt lantern battery out there with 32 AA cells in it, we have yet to find it.

One of our employees here at TruthOrFiction.com took apart an old 6-volt lantern battery and found 4 large cells inside, no AA cells. There are several similar reports on the Internet of folks who bought lantern batteries only to find the four larger cells, no AA cells.

We've found literally dozens of similar stories on the Internet from people who had the same experience but so far none who found the 32 AA cells.

There are also reports of finding AAAA or AAA cells in 9-volt batteries and splitting A-23 12-volt batteries into 8 1.5 volt button batteries.

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

WATCH THIS IF YOU USE AA BATTERIES
....ad when you're done watching that one check out other videos on the page for "How to"

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/824477/6_volt_battery_hack_youll_be_amazed/

from:truthorfiction.com

I Remember
Song by Mocca, OST Catatan Akhir Sekolah

I remember, The way you glanced at me, yes I remember
I remember, When we caught a shooting star, yes I remember
I remember, All the things that we shared, and the promise we made, just you and I
I remember, All the laughter we shared, all the wishes we made, upon the roof at dawn

Do you remember?
When we were dancing in the rain in that December
And I remember, When my father thought you were a burglar
I remember, All the things that we shared, and the promise we made, just you and I
I remember, All the laughter we shared, all the wishes we made, upon the roof at dawn

Yes I remember,
All the things that we shared, and the promise we made, just you and I
I remember,
All the laughter we shared, all the wishes we made, upon the roof at dawn

I remember
The way you read your books, yes I remember
The way you tied your shoes, yes I remember
The cake you loved the most, yes I remember
The way you drank your coffee, I remember
The way you glanced at me, yes I remember
When we caught a shooting star,yes I remember
When we were dancing in the rain in that December
And the way you smile at me, yes I remember

And the way you smile at me, yes I remember

Have u watched Catatan Akhir Sekolah? Yeah, maybe that film is not the same as our experiences during high school or junior college, but I believe that the film will bring you back to your high school age. This song also brings me back to my senior high school memories. A lot of things that I couldn’t forget and of course a lot of memories that I always remember.

I thought that people has their own high school memories. Skipping a class, being yelled by teacher, going out with girlfriend/boyfriend, doing experiments, doing exams having a camp or study tour together, and many more.

Let’s us remember, what is the most important for you, that happened during your high school age?

Who am i??

I'm not a children who can only ask without doing anything. I'm not an adult who can and want doing anything without thinking about it. I'm just want to think and doing what i think. I'm just a waste in our society, waste for doing changing to our world...

Geeks Undercover

Welcome to my Own Blog. Geeks undercover inside me. I'm not a great man and i'm also not an intelectual person. But, i've wanted to and i've principle that i want to learn how to learn about this life and to be a GEEKS......