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alt.folklore.urban Frequently Asked Questions [Part 2 of 5]

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Archive-name: folklore-faq/part2
Last-Modified: 96/7/30
Version: 2.50

See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge
6 February 1997

INTRODUCTION:

This is part two of the five part Frequently Asked Questions
list for alt.folklore.urban.  This section contains various
administrative and other oddly interesting information 
pertaining to AFU.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

TWO NOTES TO NEW READERS:

 - We encourage you to post any stories you suspect may be an UL. Funny
   or whatever.  Details matter!  Please try to give as much as possible.
   BUT, be advised that many of the stories in the FAQ have been hashed
   over.  If you wish to debate them, be prepared to substantiate your
   claim.

 - The weasely :-) symbol is frowned upon in this group.  Any questions, 
   see Phil Gustafson who will gladly rearrange your diodes for you and 
   charge you two-fifty for it.  Of course, there is no good reason why
   doing so should be a capital crime (virtual or otherwise), though you 
   do leave yourself open to scorn, ridicule, and bad breath if you do 
   use them.  By the way, it's no big deal.  Get a life.  

 - There are also reports of a BOA going on.


A NOTE TO OLD AND WOULD BE OLD READERS:

 - If you must troll, bear in mind that trolling outside of AFU
   is pretty weak.

The purpose of summarizing these frequently-seen legends is to provide
a guide to veracity and their experience in this newsgroup.  Most ULs 
cannot be traced back to original true incidents, but some, particularly 
the more recent ones, can be. There are ULs which may, coincidentally, 
have a true manifestation, but a true manifestation does not deprive a 
UL of its legendary status.  However, since many if not most ULs are 
false, where possible, I include a comment referring to a true incident, 
subject to sufficient evidence, of course.


A DIGRESSION ON URBAN LEGENDS AND "FALSEHOOD"

Occasionally, there is a post to the effect of: "That actually happened 
you st*p*d, f*ck*ng, b*st*rds, Jan Harold Brunvand is Polish, the FAQ 
list is wrong, the sun rises in the West and it's not an urban legend."  
As noted elsewhere in this list and by astute individuals on the net, an 
UL does not have to be false.  If we take the example of "The Unsolvable 
Math Problem" (see below), we find that mathematician George Dantzig is 
the probable individual involved.  So is this story no longer an UL?  
Jan Harold Brunvand addresses this issue thusly:

     "Despite finding its [The Unsolvable Math Problem] apparent 
      origin, I continue to accept anonymous versions as legendary.  
      Here's why."

     "An oral story is a story, whatever its origin.  As long as a
      story continues to circulate in different variations, partly
      by word of mouth, we may regard it as folklore.  But probably
      'The Unsolvable Math Problem' legend should no longer be
      discussed as strictly 'apocryphal,' since we now seem to have
      found its source, and the deviations from the original incident
      are easily recognized and are not excessive."

                         - JHB, _Curses!  Broiled Again!_, p. 282

Veracity is interesting but far from the only thing when it comes to 
the study of urban legends.  

MEANWHILE, BACK TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM . . .

I have also begun to collect references to specific volumes of JHB's to
document various classic ULs.  This is a slow and on-going process.
Acronyms for Jan Harold Brunvand's books in the list below are:

     TVH  -  _The Vanishing Hitchhiker_
     TMP  -  _The Mexican Pet_ (No, not Splinter!)
     TCD  -  _The Choking Doberman_
     CBA  -  _Curses!  Broiled Again_
     TBT  -  _The Baby Train_ 

Related newsgroups to consider when posting an article which may be 
  "folklore":
     - alt.folklore.computers [guess what this one is about?]
     - alt.folklore.science ["Does hot water freeze faster than cold?"  Heh.]
     - alt.folklore.college [Lots of the same old stuff, but why not?]
     - alt.folklore.ghost-stories [Spooky!]
     - alt.folklore.suburban [Joel Furr moderated, low-volume group.]
     - alt.folklore.info [Terry Wood moderated, very low-volume group.] 
     - alt.folklore.military [What exactly is "Puff the Magic Dragon" about?]
     - alt.fan.cecil-adams [For those who want the dope, straight or not]
     - sci.skeptic [for those with lots of time on their hands]
     - alt.tasteless [frequently more appropriate than not.]
     - alt.usage.english [pretty self-explanatory, dontcha think?]
     - alt.flame [just a thought else hold that thought]
     - alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.d [the others are for *pictures* only.]
     - alt.religion.kibology [the mother of all newsgroups]
     - rec.arts.startrek.misc [Anything about "Lost in Space" will do.]

NOMINATIONS FOR THE OFFICIAL MOTTO OF A.F.U.
  [One free clue:  if youse post with one of the following in your article,
   youse takes youse chances in this newsgroup.]
  "It could have happened, so it must be true."
  "Sheesh!"
  "Sorry to inject some facts into this newsgroup..."
  "It COULD have happened so it MUST have happened"
  "Bula Vinaka"
  "I read it on USE[less]NET so it must be true."
  "You st*p*d f*ck*ng b*st*rds..."
  "The way I heard it..."
  "I read it in the paper..."
  "I think it's stupid. We collect all these business cards, and it turns
      out nobody wants them."
  "Mumpsimus"
  "Furrfu!"
  "Bzzzzt!"
  "No Facts but..."
  "And as for the voracity [sic] of the source, this is my GRANDMOTHER 
      you're talking about."
  "True story as far as anyone knows.  No particular reason why it should
      be doubted."
  "I can't vouch for the veracity of your story.  But there's enough stupidity
      out there that I'll believe it."
  "He might have.  That alone is enough to prove..."
  "Are you saying that some soaps are not detergents but that no detergents 
      are soaps?"  
  "Well, looking at my couch, I could see how this would happen"
  "Excuse me.  But can anyone tell me what's going on here?"
  "I'm not making this up. I've seen a wargame of the battle of Stalingrad
     which includes an optional counter for mine dogs, so it must be true.
  "I will not describe it so don't even bother asking me about it."
  "My girlfriend has seen people doing this. Sources don't come more reliable."
  "If you doubt this crap, Ive [sic] got a copy I could quote."
  "I heard the story.  It wasn't cocaine, it was a cat."
  "Exaggeration makes a better story."
  "Yup.  I've heard that one too so it must be true."
  "I didn't keep any references as I didn't think it would be a subject on AFU."
  "I do not post speculation or bullshit to this newsgroup."
  "Sounds like bullshit to me."
  "I must say, with all due respect, the tone of your reply is typical of
    much of the dialog that goes on on this network and newsgroup.  Any
    apparent weakness or oversight, real or not, becomes the occasion for
    an attack on the basic intelligence of the person who reveals it -- in
    this case the lecturer whose talk some fifteen years ago I sketchily
    summarized."
   "I can't remember where I heard that, so it must be true."
   "Your intuition is excellent, but another viewpoint could be helpful."
   "...you're still wrong, even taking your pedantry at face value."
   "Well, this has nothing to do with San Francisco or pus, but..."
   "Yes a film of that does exist. Some kids I once knew in high school 
      once saw it." 
   "[f]rankly I couldn't give a fig what you all say, this happens[...]"
   "Home address and plane fare on request, punk." 
   "If it isn't true, it should be, and if we could afford it, it would be."
   "Why don't you just select your silly MOTTO and get on with it." 
   "i wasnt thinking...obviously this doesnt matter to my point..."
   "I believe it because I have already heard other versions of it..."
   "I'm extremely sceptical about this being an urban legend; after all, 
    the fellow who sent _me_ the letter is an attorney."
   "If you mess around with a really great screw you're in danger of 
     losing your ass?"
   "This may be the single dumbest argument I've ever engaged in, but your
    rock-solid surety in taking on such a counterintuitive position
    intrigues me."
   "You bet your ass I am."
   "I trust that this ensures me a lasting place in the FAQ."
   "This is actually true, but it's pretty good anyway."


AFU MAN OF THE YEAR
   - B1FF (1990)
   - STella (1991)
   - Trelford Pinkerton (1992)
   - Phil Gustafson (1993)
   - Terry Chan (1994)
   - Lee Rudolph (1994)
   - Kim Scheinberg (1994)
   - Harry Tepper and Michele Teasley (1996 A.L.)
   - snopes (1996)

SPECULATION ON CAPTAIN JAMES T. KIRK'S MIDDLE NAME
   - "Terry" 
   - "Tirebiter"
   - "Tennessee"
   - "Tyrone"
   - "Tin-Plated Dictator with Delusions of Godhood"
   - "Teriyaki"
   - "Thermocephalic"
   - "Tribble Stuffer"
   
OFFICIAL AFU MASCOT
  - My pet King snake, Elvis
  - Peter's pet dalmatian dog, Pixel
  - snopes' pet cat, Snopes
  - little gator's non-biological gator, harvee 
  - Cindy's pet troll, Steinar
  - Nigel's pet human, Joel Furr
  - Weasels!  Weasels!  Weasels!

HACK ETYMOLOGIES FOR THE WORD 'POSH'
  - Puke On Shoes Here
  - Port Out, Starboard Home
  - Passed Out, She Hurled
  - Post Office:  Shergold's Hospital
  - Pulmonary -- Oxygenated Supply to Heart
  - Port Out, Sherry Home
  - Prow Outward, Stern Homeward

OFFICIAL AFU PHOTOGRAPHERS
  - Dan Wright and Patrick S. Clark (ret.)
  - Joe "Not Not Him" DiMaggio

OFFICIAL AFU HATCHETMAN
  - Ray "Not Dick" Depew

OFFICIAL FOOD OF AFU
  - Chicken Mole'
  - Red Velvet Cake
  - Poinsettia Salad
  - Kentucky Fried Chicken 
  - little gator's Deep Sh*t Cookies 
    [to get the cookie recipe via email, send a message to 
     scm@harvee.billerica.ma.us]
  - Live (only) Monkey Brains on the Half Skull

OFFICIAL BIG DIC OF AFU
  - The OED or Winston Churchill (tie)

NOT THE OFFICIAL SONG OF AFU
  - She Bop


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Frequently Asked Questions List has been maintained by Terry
Chan since July 1991.  Its inception and spirit was due to the
efforts of Peter van der Linden in February 1991.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

COPYRIGHT STUFF:
----------------
Copyright (c) 1997, Terry Chan and Peter van der Linden.
All Rights Reserved.  Permission for personal, educational or non-
profit use is granted provided this this copyright and notice are 
included in its entirety and remains unaltered.  All other uses must 
receive prior permission in writing from both Terry Chan (at 
tchan@dante.lbl.gov or mercymercymercy@nardis.com) and Peter van 
der Linden (at linden@eng.sun.com).  

Licensing terms on request.
--
http://www.nardis.com/~twchan
"Ah, the life of a frog, that's the life for me."

User Contributions:

1
PETER EGAN
Feb 3, 2022 @ 5:17 pm
My question is whether PARANORMAL ACTIVITIES ie hauntings , demonic possessions etc are real ?
2
Apr 2, 2023 @ 7:07 am
Whether you believe in God or not, this is a "must-read" message!!!

Throughout time, we can see how we have been slowly conditioned coming to this point where we are on the verge of a cashless society. Did you know that the Bible foretold of this event almost 2,000 years ago?

In Revelation 13:16-18, we will read,

"He (the false prophet who deceives many by his miracles--Revelation 19:20) causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666."

Referring to the last generation, this could only be speaking of a cashless society. Why so? Revelation 13:17 states that we cannot buy or sell unless we receive the mark of the beast. If physical money was still in use, we could buy or sell with one another without receiving the mark. This would contradict scripture that states we need the mark to buy or sell!

These verses could not be referring to something purely spiritual as scripture references two physical locations (our right hand or forehead) stating the mark will be on one "OR" the other. If this mark was purely spiritual, it would indicate both places, or one--not one OR the other!

This is where it really starts to come together. It is shocking how accurate the Bible is concerning the implantable RFID microchip. Here are notes from someone named Carl Sanders who worked with a team of engineers to help develop this RFID chip:

"Carl Sanders sat in seventeen New World Order meetings with heads-of-state officials such as Henry Kissinger and Bob Gates of the C.I.A. to discuss plans on how to bring about this one-world system. The government commissioned Carl Sanders to design a microchip for identifying and controlling the peoples of the world—a microchip that could be inserted under the skin with a hypodermic needle (a quick, convenient method that would be gradually accepted by society).

Carl Sanders, with a team of engineers behind him, with U.S. grant monies supplied by tax dollars, took on this project and designed a microchip that is powered by a lithium battery, rechargeable through the temperature changes in our skin. Without the knowledge of the Bible (Brother Sanders was not a Christian at the time), these engineers spent one-and-a-half-million dollars doing research on the best and most convenient place to have the microchip inserted.

Guess what? These researchers found that the forehead and the back of the hand (the two places the Bible says the mark will go) are not just the most convenient places, but are also the only viable places for rapid, consistent temperature changes in the skin to recharge the lithium battery. The microchip is approximately seven millimeters in length, .75 millimeters in diameter, about the size of a grain of rice. It is capable of storing pages upon pages of information about you. All your general history, work history, criminal record, health history, and financial data can be stored on this chip.

Brother Sanders believes that this microchip, which he regretfully helped design, is the “mark” spoken about in Revelation 13:16–18. The original Greek word for “mark” is “charagma,” which means a “scratch or etching.” It is also interesting to note that the number 666 is actually a word in the original Greek. The word is “chi xi stigma,” with the last part, “stigma,” also meaning “to stick or prick.” Carl believes this is referring to a hypodermic needle when they poke into the skin to inject the microchip."

Mr. Sanders asked a doctor what would happen if the lithium contained within the RFID microchip leaked into the body. The doctor replied by saying a terrib (...)

Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic:




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