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| Geeks Undercover |
| Do you want to know what is the top Fact Or Fiction Stories.... You can click in this Blog. Rumor, Email Spam, in this blog describe the stories Fact or Fiction in |
| Language: English |
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| Open Letter to UFC about Bad Decisions |
| 2008-06-02 03:02:00 |
Dear Dana White: On Saturday night, Matt Hamill was robbed in London. The split decision in Hamill’s UFC 75 fight against Michael Bisping, a Brit fighting in his home country, was atrocious. Hamill clearly won the first two rounds on strikes and takedowns, while Bisping’s punches landed on Hamill’s arms. Hamill did seem to lose the third round; although, one judge even gave him the third, probably based upon his takedowns. This is not something about which reasonable people can disagree. Matt Hamill won that fight. The decision was a complete shocker. In fact, one could hear a whole lot of boos and whistles from the crowd after it was announced. This was the same partisan crowd that had wildly cheered Bisping before and throughout the fight. Many of these British fans must ha...
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| Champaign Property Tax Levy |
| 2008-06-02 03:02:00 |
Last night, the Champaign City Council tentatively approved a property tax hike. I favor keeping Champaign’s property tax steady at the same $1.2659 per hundred dollars of valuation used last year. I won’t bother to discuss the affordability of property taxes or how property values (and therefore taxes) have been increasing more rapidly than inflation; those arguments are well-documented. Instead, let’s concentrate on what property tax revenues mean to the city. During the staff presentation, Richard Schnuer, Champaign’s Finance Director, showed a line graph of the major components of the property tax levy: library, pensions, capital improvements, and the General Fund. These lines were stacked on top of ea...
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| Does the Internet Decrease Library Use? |
| 2008-06-02 02:48:00 |
The new Main Library in Champaign is set to open on January 6, 2008. This momentous occasion reminds me of a debate that used to occur when the new facility was being planned. One particular argument against building the new library was that increasing use of the Internet leads to decreasing use of physical library facilities. This is completely false, and in fact, the opposite is true.In 1990, per capita circulation at the Champaign Public Library was 13.9 materials per year, and by the year 2000, per capita circulation had increased to 15.8 materials annually. According to their 2006/2007 annual report, the library had an annual circulation of 1,786,773. When you take this against Champaign’s population of 75,254 (w...
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| Can a Hypnotist Control You? |
| 2008-05-19 11:32:00 |
One day you’re at the mall. A stage has been set up, and a hypnotist is asking for volunteers from the audience. He is going to put on a show. Soon, through the magic of hypnosis, some guy is convinced that he is JFK…“My fellow Americans”…Nice accent! Meanwhile, a woman is busy clucking like a chicken and flapping her elbows back and forth just off the stage. Wow! This is powerful stuff. All you want is some help quitting smoking, so you decide to look the hypnotist up in the yellow pages. You make an appointment, but it turns out that the only thing this demented hypnotist does is play practical jokes and control your actions. He commands that after leaving your trance, every time you hear a phone ring, you will start singing “Another One Bites the Dust,” just like F...
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| Is a tomato a fruit? |
| 2008-05-19 11:29:00 |
Is a tomato a vegetable, or is it really a fruit? It seems like a simple question, but it turns out that there is quite a bit to consider. The correct answer depends upon whom you ask… If you ask a botanist… He or she will tell you that a tomato is a fruit. Anything with a ripened, mature ovary containing a seed or seeds is technically a fruit. By this definition, pumpkins, peppers, and even eggplants are also fruits. If you look "tomato" up in the dictionary or on Dictionary.com, you will probably also find it defined as a fruit. But, horticulturally speaking… The tomato plant, itself, is classified as a vegetable. It is an annual as opposed to a perennial woody plant or a tree from where most of the things we consid...
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| Tentang Buang Angin (fact or fiction???) |
| 2008-05-19 11:16:00 |
Alkisah menurut seorang ilmuwan yang mengadakan penelitian tentang kentut mengatakan, Kita jangan cuma tahu bau dan suaranya saja, (tetapi juga hakekatnya) 1. Dari mana asal kentut? Dari gas dalam usus. Gas dalam usus berasal dari udara yg kita telan, gas yang menerobos ke usus dari darah, gas dari reaksi kimia & gas dari bakteria dalam perut. 2. Apa komposisi kentut? Bervariasi. Makin banyak udara anda telan, makin banyak kadar nitrogen dalam kentut (oksigen dari udara terabsorbsi oleh tubuh sebelum sampai di usus). Adanya bakteria serta reaksi kimia antara asam perut & cairan usus menghasilkan karbondioksida. Bakteria juga menghasilkan metana & hidrogen. Proporsi masing-masing gas tergantung apa yang anda makan, berapa banyak udara tertelan, jenis bakteria dalam u...
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| The Old Trout, the Young Trout, and the Salmon |
| 2008-02-12 03:58:00 |
A fisherman, in the month of May, stood angling on the bank of a river with an artificial fly. He threw his bait with so much art that a young trout was rushing towards it, when she was prevented by her mother. "Stop, child!" said she. "Never be too hasty where there is a possibility of danger. Take due time to consider, before you risk an action that may be fatal. How do you know whether that is indeed a fly, or the snare of an enemy? Let someone else make the experiment before you. If it be a fly, he will very probably elude the first attack, and then the second may be made if not with success, at least with safety." She had no sooner uttered this caution than a salmon seized upon the pretended fly, and was captured. Moral: Do not ru...
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| The Farmer and His Sons |
| 2008-02-12 03:57:00 |
A certain farmer, lying at the point of death, called his sons around him, and gave into their charge his fields and vineyards, telling them that a treasure lay hidden somewhere in them, within a foot of the surface of the ground. His sons thought he spoke of money which he had hidden, and after he was buried, they dug most industriously all over the estate, but found nothing. The soil being so well loosened, however, the succeeding crops were of unequalled richness, and the sons then found out what their father had in view in telling them to dig for hidden treasure. Moral: Industry is fortune's right hand...
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| The Sick Stag |
| 2008-02-12 03:57:00 |
A stag, whose joints had become stiff with old age, was at great pains to get together a large heap of fodder -- enough, as he thought, to last him for the remainder of his days. He stretched himself out upon it, and, now dozing, now nibbling, made up his mind to wait quietly for the end. He had always been of a gay and lively turn, and had made in his time many friends. These now came in great numbers to see him and wish him farewell. While engaged in friendly talk over past adventures and old times, what more natural than that they should help themselves to a little of the food which seemed so plentifully stored around? The end of the matter was, that the poor stag died not so much of sickness or of old age as for sheer want of the food which his friends had eaten fo...
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| The Two Rats |
| 2008-02-12 03:57:00 |
A cunning old rat discovered in his rounds a most tempting piece of cheese, which was placed in a trap. But being well aware that if he touched it he would be caught, he slyly sought one of his young friends, and, under the mask of friendship, informed him of the prize. "I cannot use it myself," said he, "for I have just made a hearty meal." The inexperienced youngster thanked him with gratitude for the news, and heedlessly sprang upon the tempting bait; on which the trap closed and instantly destroyed him. his companion, being now quite secure, quietly ate up the cheese. Moral: Do not listen to every passer-by. ...
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| The Bald Knight |
| 2008-02-12 03:56:00 |
A certain knight, who wore a wig to conceal his baldness, was out hunting one day. A sudden gust of wind carried away his wig and showed his bald pate. His friends all laughed heartily at the odd figure he made, but the old fellow, so far from being put out, laughed as heartily as any of them. "Is it any wonder," said he, "that another man's hair shouldn't keep on my head when my own wouldn't stay there?" Moral: Every event has its reason. ...
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| Death and Cupid |
| 2008-02-12 03:56:00 |
Cupid, one sultry summer's noon, tired with play and faint with heat, went into a cool grotto to repose himself. This happened to be the cave of Death. He threw himself carelessly down upon the floor, and his quiver turning upside down, all the arrows fell out and mingled with those of Death, which lay scattered about the place. When he awoke he gathered them up as well as he could; but they were so intermingled that although he knew the proper number to take, he could not rightly distinguish his own. Hence he took up some of the arrows which belonged to Death, and left some of his. This is the reason why that we now and then see the hearts of the old and decrepit transfixed with the bolts of Love; and with...
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| The Hunted Beaver |
| 2008-02-12 03:56:00 |
The stones of the beaver was once thought to be of use in medicine, and the animal was often hunted on that account. A shrewd old fellow of the race, being hard pressed by the dogs, and knowing well why they were after him, had the resolution and the presence of mind to bite off his stones and leave them behind him, and thus escaped with his life. Moral: The skin is nearer than the cloak. ...
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| The Bundle of Sticks |
| 2008-02-12 03:55:00 |
An old man on the point of death summoned his sons around him to give them some parting advice. He ordered his servants to bring in a faggot of sticks, and said to his eldest son, "Break it." The son strained and strained, but with all his efforts was unable to break the bundle. The other sons also tried, but none of them was successful. "Untie the faggots," said the father, "and each of you take a stick." When they had done so, he called out to them, "Now, break," and each stick was easily broken. "You see my meaning," said their father.Moral: Union gives strength....
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| The Cat and the Mice |
| 2008-02-12 03:55:00 |
A certain house was much infested by mice. The owner brought home a cat, a famous mouser, who soon made such havoc among the little folk that those who were left stayed closely in the upper shelves. Then the cat grew hungry and thin, and, driven by her wit's end, hung by her hind legs to a peg in the wall and pretended to be dead in order that the mice would no longer be afraid to come near her. An old mouse came to the edge of the shelf, and, seeing through the trick, cried out, "Ah ha, Mrs. Pussy! We should not come near you, even if your skin were stuffed with straw." Moral: Old birds are not to be caught with chaff. ...
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| The Old Man and Death |
| 2008-02-12 03:54:00 |
An old man cut himself a bundle of sticks in a wood and started to carry them home. He had a long way to go, and was tired out before he had got much more than halfway. Casting his burden on the ground, he called upon Death to come and release him from his life of toil. The words were scarcely out of his mouth when, much to his dismay, Death stood before him and professed his readiness to serve him. He was almost frightened out of his wits, but he had enough presence of mind to stammer out, "Good sir, if you'd be so kind, pray help me up with my burden again."...
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| The Sick Lion |
| 2008-02-12 03:54:00 |
A lion had come to the end of his days and lay sick unto death at the mouth of his cave, gasping for breath. The animals, his subjects, came round him and drew nearer as he grew more and more helpless. When they saw him on the point of death they thought to themselves, "Now is the time to pay off old grudges." So the boar came up and drove at him with his tusks; then a bull gored him with his horns; still the lion lay helpless before them: so the ass, feeling quite safe from danger, came up, and turning his tail to the lion kicked up his heels into his face. "This is a double death," growled the lion. Moral: Only cowards insult dying majesty. ...
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| The Man, the Horse, the Ox, and the Dog |
| 2008-02-12 03:53:00 |
One winter's day during a severe storm a horse, an ox, and a dog came and begged for shelter in the house of a man. He readily admitted them, and, as they were cold and wet, he lit a fire for their comfort; and he put oats before the horse, and hay before the ox, while he fed the dog with the remains of his own dinner. When the storm abated, and they were about to depart, they determined to show their gratitude in the following way. They divided the life of man among them, and each endowed one part of it with the qualities which were peculiarly his own. The horse took youth, and hence young men are high-mettled and impatient of restraint; the ox took middle age, and accordingly men in middle life are steady and hard-working; while the dog ...
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| The Swan |
| 2008-02-12 03:53:00 |
The swan is said to sing but once in its life -- when it knows that it is about to die. A certain man who had heard of the song of the swan one day saw one of these birds for sale in the market, and bought it and took it home with him. A few days later he had some friends to dinner, and produced the swan, and bade it sing for their entertainment; but the swan remained silent. In course of time, when it was growing old, it became aware of its approaching end and broke into a sweet, sad song. When its owner heard it, he said angrily, "If the creature only sings when it is about to die, what a fool I was that day I wanted to hear its song! I ought to have wrung its neck instead of merely inviting it to sing."...
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| The Wolves, the Sheep, and the Ram |
| 2008-02-12 03:53:00 |
The wolves sent a deputation to the sheep with proposals for a lasting peace between them, on condition of their giving up the sheepdogs to instant death. The foolish sheep agreed to the terms; but an old ram, whose years had brought him wisdom, interfered and said, "How can we expect to live at peace with you? Why, even with the dogs at hand to protect us, we are never secure from your murderous attacks!"...
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| The Miller, His Son, and Their Ass |
| 2008-02-12 03:52:00 |
A miller, accompanied by his young son, was driving his ass to market in hopes of finding a purchaser for him. On the road they met a troop of girls, laughing and talking, who exclaimed, "Did you ever see such a pair of fools? To be trudging along the dusty road when they might be riding!" The miller thought there was sense in what they said; so he made his son mount the ass, and himself walked at the side. Presently they met some of his old cronies, who greeted them and said, "You'll spoil that son of yours, letting him ride while you toil along on foot! Make him walk, young lazybones! It'll do him all the good in the world." The miller followed their advice, and took his son's place on the back of the ass, while the boy trudged along behind. They had not gone far wh...
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| The Charger and the Miller |
| 2008-02-12 03:51:00 |
A horse who had been used to carry his rider into battle felt himself growing old and chose to work in a mill instead. He now no longer found himself stepping out proudly to the beating of the drums, but was compelled to slave away all day grinding the corn. Bewailing his hard lot, he said one day to the miller, "Ah me! I was once a splendid war horse gaily caparisoned, and attended by a groom whose sole duty was to see to my wants. How different is my present condition! I wish I had never given up the battlefield for the mill." The miller replied with asperity, "It's no use your regretting the past. Fortune has many ups and downs. You must just take them as they come."...
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| The Man and His Two Mistresses |
| 2008-02-12 03:51:00 |
A man of middle age, whose hair was turning grey, had two mistresses, an old woman and a young one. The elder of the two didn't like having a lover who looked so much younger than herself; so, whenever he came to see her, she used to pull the dark hairs out of his head to make him look old. The younger, on the other hand, didn't like him to look so much older than herself, and took every opportunity of pulling out the grey hairs, to make him look young. Between them, they left not a hair in his head, and he became perfectly bald....
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| The Old Hound |
| 2008-02-12 03:51:00 |
A hound who had served his master well for years, and had run down many a quarry in his time, began to lose his strength and speed owing to age. One day, when out hunting, his master started a powerful wild boar and set the hound at him. The latter seized the beast by the ear, but his teeth were gone and he could not retain his hold; so the boar escaped. His master began to scold him severely, but the hound interrupted him with these words, "My will is as strong as ever, master, but my body is old and feeble. You ought to honor me for what I have been instead of abusing me for what I am."...
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| The Ass and the Old Peasant |
| 2008-02-12 03:50:00 |
An old peasant was sitting in a meadow watching his ass, which was grazing close by, when all of a sudden he caught sight of armed men stealthily approaching. He jumped up in a moment, and begged the ass to fly with him as fast as he could, "Or else," said he, "we shall both be captured by the enemy." But the ass just looked round lazily and said, "And if so, do you think they'll make me carry heavier loads than I have to now?" "No," said his master. "Oh, well, then," said the ass, "I don't mind if they do take me, for I shan't be any worse off."...
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| The Old Woman and the Wine Jar |
| 2008-02-12 03:50:00 |
An old woman picked up an empty wine jar which had once contained a rare and costly wine, and which still retained some traces of its exquisite bouquet. She raised it to her nose and sniffed at it again and again. "Ah," she cried, "how delicious must have been the liquid which has left behind so ravishing a smell."...
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| The Oxen and the Butchers |
| 2008-02-12 03:50:00 |
Once upon a time the oxen determined to be revenged upon the butchers for the havoc they wrought in their ranks, and plotted to put them to death on a given day. They were all gathered together discussing how best to carry out the plan, and the more violent of them were engaged in sharpening their horns for the fray, when an old ox got up upon his feet and said, "My brothers, you have good reason, I know, to hate these butchers, but, at any rate, they understand their trade and do what they have to do without causing unnecessary pain. But if we kill them, others, who have no experience, will be set to slaughter us, and will by their bungling inflict great sufferings upon us. For you may be sure that even though all the butchers perish, mankind will never go without their...
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| The Mice and the Weasels |
| 2008-02-12 03:49:00 |
There was war between the mice and the weasels, in which the mice always got the worst of it, numbers of them being killed and eaten by the weasels. So they called a council of war, in which an old mouse got up and said, "It's no wonder we are always beaten, for we have no generals to plan our battles and direct our movements in the field." Acting on his advice, they chose the biggest mice to be their leaders, and these, in order to be distinguished from the rank and file, provided themselves with helmets bearing large plumes of straw. They then led out the mice to battle, confident of victory; but they were defeated as usual, and were soon scampering as fast as they could to their holes. All made their way to safety without difficulty except the leaders, who were so ham...
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| The Peasant and the Apple Tree |
| 2008-02-12 03:49:00 |
A peasant had an apple tree growing in his garden, which bore no fruit, but merely served to provide a shelter from the heat for the sparrows and grasshoppers which sat and chirped in its branches. Disappointed at its barrenness he determined to cut it down, and went and fetched his ax for the purpose. But when the sparrows and the grasshoppers saw what he was about to do, they begged him to spare it, and said to him, "If you destroy the tree we shall have to seek shelter elsewhere, and you will no longer have our merry chirping to enliven your work in the garden." He, however, refused to listen to them, and set to work with a will to cut through the trunk. A few strokes showed that it was hollow inside and...
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| The Crab and His Mother |
| 2008-02-12 03:48:00 |
An old crab said to her son, "Why do you walk sideways like that, my son? You ought to walk straight." The young crab replied, "Show me how, dear mother, and I'll follow your example." The old crab tried, but tried in vain, and then saw how foolish she had been to find fault with her child. Moral: Example is better than precept. ...
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| The Old Lion |
| 2008-02-12 03:48:00 |
A lion, enfeebled by age and no longer able to procure food for himself by force, determined to do so by cunning. Betaking himself to a cave, he lay down inside and feigned to be sick; and whenever any of the other animals entered to inquire after his health, he sprang upon them and devoured them. Many lost their lives in this way, till one day a fox called at the cave, and, having a suspicion of the truth, addressed the lion from outside instead of going in, and asked him how he did. He replied that he was in a very bad way. "But," said he, "why do you stand outside? Pray come in." "I should have done so," answered the fox, "if I hadn't noticed that all the footprints point towards the cave and none the other way."...
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| The Incredible Story of the Protection of the Bulgarian Jews-Mostly Truth! |
| 2007-11-18 09:02:00 |
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 fro...
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| Lock Bumping-a Threat to Security at Home or Office-Truth! |
| 2007-11-16 14:35:00 |
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 be...
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| High School Officials Pull the Plug on Valedictorian Because of Religious Content of Her Speech-Truth! |
| 2007-11-16 14:32:00 |
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 ...
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| German Bridge That Is For Boats-Truth! |
| 2007-11-14 03:46:00 |
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...
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| New Boeing 797 Giant "Blended Wing" Passenger Airliner-Fiction! |
| 2007-11-14 03:45:00 |
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 rese...
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| Help Find Ashley Flores-Fiction! |
| 2007-11-14 03:42:00 |
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 t...
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| Enter your ATM Pin Number Backwards to Summon Police-Fiction! |
| 2007-11-13 01:46:00 |
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 ...
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| Forward an Email for Polish Burn Victim Alexandra-Fiction! |
| 2007-11-13 01:33:00 |
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...
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| Injuries on Children Caused by ScotchBrite Easy Eraser or Mr. Clean Magic Eraser-Truth! & Fiction! |
| 2007-11-09 06:05:00 |
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...
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