When the Hoax Joke is On You

One of my all time favourite things to do is investigate mass emails. You know what I'm talking about, the scary emails that warn you against being infected with HIV from the tomatoe sauce at McDonald's. I usually have a technique, there's usually a number on the mail (the fabricated email signature), I always call the number and there's never any answer.

Then I look for facts to support or disprove the mail and then I hit the "reply to all" button and share my new found facts. Why would I do that? Because I am truly tired of fear. Me and my inbox are not going to be the donkeys that carry messages of fear to support the paranoia that is otherwise called "hostility" in society.

I don't get many of those mails anymore by the way. I've been left off the scary email list. It made me unpopular and do you know why? (Brace yourself - this is absurd) Because, people didn't want to know the truth. Can you believe that? They want to be sensational and live in fear. What? Does that make any sense at all? Its like willing be an ongoing extra in Scary movie 800 and a half. No, no.

Anyway, the most recent mass forward to land in my inbox was the "Canola Oil will kill you mail." I followed procedure, discovered it was the standard BS and shelved it accordingly. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered that it had made headlines on News24. What's the big deal? Canola oil is in fact quite good for you. its endorsed by all the big names in "Good Fats" and its been called "industrial sabotage." I love it. Make a stand oil manufacturers! If for nothing else then the health of our hearts and the manufacture of family dinners, stir fry in particular.

So, here's my plea...don't forward BS. Save your heart! From fear and bad-fat-induced heart disease. Unclog your hearteries! Make your inbox a happy place. Its the weekend, its about rugby and chilling and friends and family. Until Monday...

http://www.news24.com/Content/SciTech/News/1132/e4852d7f41eb452cbe4fefc6d079c1e8/04-09-2009-09-36/SA_warned_about_hoax_e-mail