Did you receive the questionable email the other month about registering your cell phone number on the “Do Not Call” directory in order to prevent your number from being released to telemarketers? Are you unsure as to whether or not eating celery actually results in negative calorie intake? Still wondering if that gum you swallowed the other day will be in your system for another seven years?
Fear not! Barbara and David P. Mikkelson, founders of the San Fernando Valley Folklore Society and the creators of snopes.com, are on a mission to set the record straight about these and countless other rumors and urban legends. While some people spend their free time circulating stories about the deadly effects of microwaving food in plastic containers, snopes.com is devoted to eradicating such falsities. Armed with scholarly literature, reputable cross references, and more connections than Kevin Bacon, the Mikkelsons have researched thousands of rumors and folklore. For each claim, the website confirms or denies the statement, goes through a brief history of its origin, and details the research done in order to arrive at a conclusion. Their fact checking sources are even listed on each posting so users can verify their work.
To help snopes.com keep abreast of the lasted scoop, users can also email in questionable folklore they have recently encountered. While the Mikkelsons have a ways to go before they can close up shop, they have made a good dent in freeing the world from faulty tales and reports. 2.7 million people visited snopes.com in June, a 24% increase from site traffic in January. Interestingly enough, among the dozens of categories listed, including history, medical, and food, Disney is the most commonly searched collection. So if you are curious about the alleged hidden messages in Disney films, or about almost anything else you have heard or read, check out the website. And in order to do my part in fight against misinformation, calorie friendly celery is the only true bit of information in the first paragraph.
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July 20th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Snopes has an article at http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/gascharge.asp about gas station charging an extra fee for using a Credit Card as being FALSE! If find your statement not based in fact. Read a portion of an article I just wrote:
As proof that this IS. In fact, TRUE – 7 weeks ago I filled up my gas tank and was charged $26.00 and put it on my DEBIT CARD – not CREDIT CARD. A DEBIT CARD transaction is the same as a CASH transaction. When I got my bank statement I found that the gas station had charged me $32.00 or an ADDITIONAL $6.00 – for this transaction – or .75 cents more per gallon!!! This morning, Sunday 07/20/08, I spoke to an employee at the gas station where I normally buy my gas – I asked if they charged extra for using a Credit Card. The answer was YES! I then asked if they charged extra for a DEBIT CARD transaction. And – was told NO. A Cash or Debit Card transaction is supposed to be the final figure. Be sure to check your Bank Statement – if you use either your Debit Card or Credit Card. In a court of law charging you $10.00 for using your credit card is called “USURY”! Known as “Excessive Interest” because you have used a Credit Card!
I strongly ask that you “call around” to see if the statement is true - or not. Apparently you did not as poeple are now being charged up to $10.00 for using their Credit Card. Adding a lot of cost to the price of gas. Ripping the public off!
Phil Kaiser - pkaiser@earthlink.net
September 20th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
How can I contact Snopes to send them my most recent questionable e-mail that seems to
be going around?