How Gullible Are You? Part 3: Levis Logo, Pilot Mysteriously Reappears, Tennis Ball Car Door openers

There are a lot more crazy things circulating around the Internet this month, and to help dispel falsehoods, or prove truth, here's the third of three parts of this month's "How Gullible Are You?"
See how you do...

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1)  Is the Levi's Logo Racist?  FALSE- A social media post claims that Levi's "two horse" logo is a racist symbol that represents a slave's being killed.

Just two men and 2 horses.

2) Texas Man Forced to Take Down U.S. Flag Because Muslims Were Offended? -  FALSE  A false claim from 2014 about a Texas man forced to take down his American flag because it threatened Muslims has been resurrected.- KHOU-TV  reported noted that "we saw other patriotic symbols hanging from other balconies in the complex," so the issue was pretty clearly about the manner of the flag's display and not any issues regarding its symbolism.

3)  EPA Seeks to Ban Racecar Conversions? FALSE - An aftermarket trade association's press release misleadingly suggested the EPA was banning road-to-racecar conversions.

WHAT'S TRUE: In July 2015, the EPA proposed clarifications to existing laws governing emissions with respect to road-to-racecar modifications.
WHAT'S FALSE: The EPA is banning road-to-race car conversions.

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4) Is Bernie Sanders the Only Presidential Candidate to Pay His Interns?  TRUE- Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders pays his campaign interns, but most (if not all) of the other major presidential candidates do not.

5) Taiwan: MH370 Pilot Mysteriously Resurfaces?  FALSE - A fake news web site reported that the pilot of long-missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 had mysteriously resurfaced in a Taiwan hospital.
 

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6) List of Reasons for Admission to Insane Asylums in the 19th Century   PARTIALLY TRUE-  A list purportedly documents the myriad reasons or symptoms behind patients' being admitted to an insane asylum in the 19th century.(Note: if only  "religious enthusiasm" were still an offense many conservatives would be locked up again.)
 

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7)  This Is (Not) What Happens When You Park in a Handicapped Parking Spot in Brazil   - DONE BY A COMEDY SHOW - 

A video showing the creative shaming of a motorist who illegally parked in a handicapped spot was created by the YouTube comedy team Canal Boom.

9) Bernie Sanders Supporters Get SS Tattoos?FALSE -A Vermont parlor provides free tattoos to Bernie Sanders supporters, but those tattoos do not include the Nazi "SS" symbol. Origin: In February 2016, an image began circulating via social media proclaiming that young supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders were demonstrating their commitment to this campaign by obtaining tattoos of the "lightning bolt" (Armanen runes) 'SS' insignia utilized by the notorious Nazi Schutzstaffel paramilitary surveillance and terror group:
10)  Can You Unlock Your Car Door with a Tennis Ball?- FALSE  A long-debunked tip claiming you can unlock your car door with a tennis ball has resurfaced on social media but remains utterly false.  ***In 2007 this rumor made it to the attention of Discovery Channel's MythBusters, who addressed it in a brief web video titled "Tennis Ball Car Unlock MiniMyth." In that clip, the team attempted to replicate the results based on the "air pressure" explanation proffered in the video. When the tennis ball method predictably failed, they attempted to unlock a vehicle using much higher air pressure applied in the same fashion, but even that approach proved insufficient for opening a locked vehicle

How Gullible Are You: Part 2: Deporting Veterans, PIlot Selfie,Fish Slapped and more

There are a lot more crazy things circulating around the Internet this month, and to help dispel falsehoods, or prove truth, here's the second of three parts of this month's "How Gullible Are You?"
See how you do...
 

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1)  United States Deporting Military Veterans? - TRUE. Honorably-discharged veterans of the U.S. military have, under certain circumstances, either received deportation orders or been deported. It may come as a surprise to learn that serving in the United States military does not automatically confer citizenship, but it doesn't.  It can smooth the way, provided the aspiring citizen is aware of what they need to do in order to apply for citizenship and gets it done within a certain timeframe.   However, it's not uncommon for enlistees to wrongly assume (having never been told otherwise) they have done all they need to do in order to be awarded citizenship, and thus all they have to do after their honorable discharge is wait.

2) Cam Newton Arrested for Fixing Super Bowl?  FALSE -  Fake news reports the QB of the Carolina Panthers was arrested for "fixing" a Super Bowl game and betting against his team.

3)  Aborted Fetuses Found in Michigan Dumpster?  FALSE - A graphic image shows fetuses found along a riverbank in Nepal, not fetuses discovered in a Dumpster behind a Michigan abortion clinic.A right wing conservative used this photo to spread this false story to anger people against abortion clinics.

4) Michigan Senate Passes Law Banning Sodomy? - MOSTLY FALSE
A bill passed by the Michigan senate to strengthen state animal cruelty laws left intact old, unenforceable language criminalizing sodomy.
WHAT'S TRUE: The Michigan senate amended a portion of the state penal code dealing with animal cruelty without removing old, unenforceable language that criminalizes sodomy.
WHAT'S FALSE: Michigan has passed a new law banning oral and anal sex.

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Fake Stadium Flyover Selfie

Origin:On 28 January 2016, the Michigan state senate passed SB219, a bill from Republican senator Rick Jones (commonly known as "Logan's Law") which amended a portion of the Michigan penal code pertaining to animal cruelty (primarily to crack down on the breeding, sale, and use of animals for "fighting and baiting" activities such as dogfights), by preventing anyone convicted of animal abuse from owning another animal for five years

5) Pilot Takes Selfie During Stadium Flyover?

A photograph purportedly showing a jet pilot taking a selfie while flying over a college football stadium is fake.
  
6)   Muslims Demand Prayer Room in Lancashire Craft Shop?

The truth about #6- There were NO problems.

WHAT'S TRUE: Four Muslim customers asked the owners of a rural craft shopping centre to provide them with space to pray.
WHAT'S FALSE: The men demanded they be provided with a prayer room, requiring police to respond to quell a near-riot.

The truth from the Heskin Farmers Market and Craft Centre (Right) said there was no problems.
 

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7) McDonalds 'New Policy' Bans Customers from Buying Food for the Homeless? 
FALSE - Two incidents at one McDonald's in the United Kingdom were spun into a claim that the chain has implemented a new policy barring customers from buying food for the homeless.
 

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8) Florida Man Arrested Over Wendy's Drive-Thru Gator Toss 
UNDER INVESTIGATION: A Florida man was arrested after allegedly "throwing" an alligator through a Wendy's drive-thru window in Oct. 2015. Although James appeared in court in February 2016, the incident in question occurred on 12 October 2015. We were unable to locate any reports (via social media or the news) about an alligator's being directed through a window at the Loxahatchee Wendy's, but the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office carries a record of James' arrest (including gator-related charges):
 

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9) Woman Slapped in Face by Large Fish? FALSE   - A viral video shows a "weather reporter" getting smacked in the face during a broadcast, but the footage appears to be faked.- The woman in the video is Aimee Bannister, who isn't actually a weather reporter: She's part of the Welsh travel and adventure vlogging duo that goes by "Craig & Aimee," with a site called "Kinging-It." It appears that the fish was dead and gutted and someone threw it at her on purpose. VIDEO: https://youtu.be/dtxPp9UOcIc
 10)  Captain America Deemed Offensive?

A woman claimed that her brother's Captain America costume was deemed "offensive" by school officials, but details of the incident conflicted with that claim. 
WHAT'S TRUE: Rondout Valley High School student Steven Snyder's Captain America costume caught the eye of school administrators due to its inclusion of a prohibited ammunition belt.  (WELL OF COURSE!)
WHAT'S FALSE: The school deemed a Captain America costume (or patriotism in general) to be "offensive."

How Gullible Are You? Part 1: Free Airline Tix?; Febreeze Peanut Oil, Monsanto Rumor, Mother Teresa

There are a lot more crazy things circulating around the Internet this month, and to help dispel falsehoods, or prove truth, here's the first of three parts of this month's "How Gullible Are You?"
See how you do...


1) Mother Teresa at 18:  A viral photograph does not actually show famous Roman Catholic missionary Mother Teresa at age 18.  

2) Does Febreze Contain Peanut Oil? -  No it does not.  Procter and Gamble categorically denies that undeclared peanut or tree nut oils are present in Febreze odor elimination spray or their other products.

3) Southwest Airlines Las Vegas Ticket Giveaway Scam  Southwest Airlines is not giving away four tickets to Las Vegas and $5,000 spending money to Facebook users who share and like a page.

4)  Airline Ticket Giveaway Scam  - Airlines are not giving away free tickets or spending money to Facebook users who share and like a page. Those offers are a form of online scam.

5) Free Chipotle Burrito Coupon - TRUE... but only on Feb. 8.  No scam: the popular fast casual Chipotle Mexican Grill chain is really offering up mobile coupons for free burritos.
 
6) Ted Cruz: 'Businesses Should Turn Away Gay Customers'? - False- this one about businesses having a 'right' to turn away gay customers, has been attributed to Senator Ted Cruz. (Although it IS TRUE that he attended and spoke at several "kill the gays" religious rallies.)

7) Hillary Clinton Sat on the Monsanto Board?  FALSE - Hillary Clinton never sat on Monsanto's board of directors, nor does she maintain any known fundraising ties with the agribusiness giant.

8)Six-Year-Old Happy Meal Doesn't Rot? -A Facebook post claimed a six-year-old Happy Meal "didn't rot," but that phenomenon is in no way exclusive to McDonald's food.

9)   Glittery Phone Cases Cause Acid Burns?  Under Investigation.   Multiple consumers have reported that cell phone cases containing glitter suspended in gel have caused severe chemical burns.  New Look, the company that distributed the phone case, said they would investigate the complaint(s) and have removed the product from their inventory. Claims of chemical burns from such phone cases is not unprecedented however: For example, in November 2015, New Zealand woman Erin Nelson reported that she, too, was burned by a mysterious liquid that leaked from her iPhone case

10) Don't Selfie Your Ballot? - In some states it IS Illegal!   Is taking a photograph of your ballot and posting it online illegal? Depends on where you live and how you do it.

Another Episode: How Gullible Are You? Jan 2016

Here's another Episode: How Gullible Are You?  for Jan 2016

How Gullible are you?

  Take a look at all of the latest "internet rumors" and find out what's true and what's not true. Of course, most of them are not true. What's interesting is that satirical newspapers creating their fake stories
seem to get picked up by some people and places as "real news." That's part of the problem. The other part is people being mean to others. See what you think!

1)   A fake news story about a new Delaware "Child Support Card" hit the online world in January 2016.
Delaware is making a card that controls what moms can and cannot buy with child support. Is that true? FALSE 
2) Fake Clint Eastwood Quote: Clint Eastwood did not say that Americans were more concerned about offending each other than offending God.
3) FALSE: Michael Jordan Lowers Price of Air Jordan Shoes to $19.99  Astory reporting the price of Air Jordan shoes would drop to to $19.99 in 2017 originated with a hoax site.
4) Was an Old Stadium Repurposed as a Housing Project?
A baseball stadium in Osaka, Japan, was repurposed to showcase model homes, but no one ever lived in them. 
5) Chevy Chase Death Hoax
Actor/comedian Chevy Chase did not die of a heart attack in January 2016.   
6) Coin in Car Door Handle Warning 
No, thieves aren't using pennies or nickels to disable keyfob lock mechanisms and steal cars or belongings left inside them.
7) Connecticut Begins Sending Gun Confiscation Letters
No, Connecticut gun owners aren't getting "gun confiscation letters."
8) False: Obama Said Gun Laws Will Eliminate Crime
No, President Obama did not say that more gun laws meant that crime would vanish. 
9) FALSE: President Obama Pardons Bill Cosby
No, Bill Cosby has not received a pardon for "all current and future charges."
 

This week's "How Gullible Are You"?

 It's time for another edition of "How Gullible Are you?"  - It seems like every week there are a lot of false rumors circulating in email around the Internet. This will help you know whether they're real or fake before you even get them!

Not See Logo
FALSE -  Donald Trump's campaign did not unveil a new logo that resembles a swastika.  

Yes, even this stupidity was a rumor...

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White Folks and Fake Quotes
FALSE -  First Lady Michelle Obama did not say that "white folks are what's wrong with America" during a commencement speech at Tuskegee University.

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An Interesting Take on Trump
FALSE - Conservative commentator William J. Bennett did not pen an essay hypothesizing that Donald Trump would be killed before he could be elected President.

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Don't Gild the Willy
FALSE -  Various fake news sites reported that a lottery winner died after gold-plating his genitals.

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Navajo Rations
FALSE -  No, President Obama isn't sending 250,000 "Muslim refugees" to Navajo lands in Arizona and North Dakota.

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Joint Commissions
FALSE - No, the federal government isn't paying study participants $3,000 a week to smoke marijuana.

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Toys Soldiers?
FALSE - A photograph does not show Syrian orphans holding guns as they make their way to the United States.

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Shooter Affiliation
FALSE - Robert Lewis Dear, the alleged Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooter, was not born a woman.  

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Exploitation Nation
FALSE - No, Germany and the European Union are not legalizing pedophilia.

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O Christmas Fee
FALSE -  Neither President Obama nor the FCC fined ABC for airing "A Charlie Brown Christmas" because it was offensive to non-Christians.

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Granddaddy Trump
FALSE -  Donald Trump's grandfather Frederick Trump was not a pimp and drug dealer who made his fortune running a brothel and opium den.

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A Korean Ghost Ship. Credit: CNN

Korean Ghost Ships Wash Ashore in Japan
TRUE- (But has happened many times before) Korean "ghost ships" carrying corpses have washed ashore in Japan, but the phenomenon is neither new nor poorly understood.

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Ugly Children Disposal
FALSE - A photograph that shows a child in a wastebasket next to a sign that reads "Dispose of your ugly

Take this week's Gullibility Test!

Take this week's Gullibility test!  Thanks to snopes.com for setting the records straight.  . See how you do!  Here are the legends, the mayhem, and the misinformation!  

1) Mall Spats: No "war" on Christmas


No, Simon Malls (and Roosevelt Field) didn't "ban Christmas" because people were "offended."
(How did this stupid rumor start?)
2)  The Handmaid's Fail A spate of poorly vetted news articles about a purported "abortion pill reversal" procedure included misleading and potentially dangerous information.
3) At the Right Hand of the Lord   GOP presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson does indeed own a portrait of himself posing with Jesus. 

4)  Moon Crock  A Hunter's Moon doesn't create the illusion of two suns, isn't a miracle, occurs annually, and images of this year's Hunter's Moon are actually much older.
5) Custodial RepentanceNo, GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubio didn't say rape victims ought to be held in custody if they're considering abortions.

 6) App in the Face    Google did not give a $500,000 grant to Black Lives Matter, but their donation will be used to fund a campaign run by BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors.
7)  Female Body Renders - A photograph purportedly showing two female bodybuilders was actually created with 3D rendering software.

8)   Bigfool - No, a Bigfoot creature was not captured in a History Channel program. The show was yet another fake "documentary" created for entertainment purposes.
9) Crossing the Feline   A real-life Cruella de Vil, but with cats? No, just more fake news.
10)  Banana Bloat - Photographs show discolored bananas that have likely fallen prey to a fungus, not to being injected with HIV-infected human blood.  (This is just SICK- created by some sick minded person)
11) Government Cheddar - A fake news site hoaxed readers, suggesting President Obama had ordered a $2,350 rebate be disbursed to all taxpayers. 
12)   One Holiday at a Time - It's true that Nordstrom department stores do not decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving, but that policy is old news.
13)  Satanbucks  - A spoof of the Starbucks "holiday cups" controversy holds that CEO Howard Schultz admitted he is using the new cup design to lure customers to the dark side.
14)  Ban of Scold - Facebook didn't ban a user for saying "God bless," but rather for linking to a post urging the harassment of a private individual.   (It's things like this that conservatives take and spin to make it seem like there's a "war on religion" - which there is clearly not.  - Instead, this "godly person" harassed another person on facebook and was banned. )