textfiles/internet/filelist

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||                    cathouse.aiss.uiuc.edu  /misc/fun/*                   ||
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This file is a description of the files contained in the directory
/misc/fun/urban.legends that relate to urban legends, the newsgroup 
alt.folklore.urban, and similar material.  What is an urban legend?  
Stealing Terry Chan's definition from the alt.folklore.urban FAQ list:

"An urban legend:
    * appears mysteriously and spreads spontaneously in varying forms
    * contains elements of humor or horror (the horror often "punishes"
      someone who flouts society's conventions).
    * makes good storytelling.
    * does NOT have to be false, although most are.  ULs often have a basis
      in fact, but it's their life after-the-fact (particularly in reference
      to the second and third points) that gives them particular interest."

My thanks to Terry Chan (twchan@lbl.gov) for providing most of the information 
provided here.

Note:  YuNoHoo (styri@hal.nat.no) maintains a semi-mirror of these files at 
       balder.nta.no in the /pub/alt.folklore.urban directory for those of you 
       on the other side of the Atlantic.

My thanks to Lance Moxley for originally giving me space for my archives.

Any complaints should be sent straight to hell along with the complainee.
Any questions, suggestions, or compliments should be sent to
Jason R. Heimbaugh (jrh@uiuc.edu).

Last updated:  4/2/93
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Directory /misc/fun/urban.legends

    AFU.survival.guide
        -- Initial guide for helping virgin afu'ers understand that which
           is called alt.folklore.urban.

    Alt.folklore.college.faq
        -- The most recent alt.folklore.college FAQ as maintained by the
           Ted Frank.
           
    Alt.folklore.urban.faq
        -- The most recent official alt.folklore.urban FAQ (Frequently Asked
           Question) list as maintained by Terry Chan.  A source for one
           line True/False/Unknown status for the most commonly heard urban
           legends.

    Craig.shergold
        -- The grand-daddy of (or should we now say, mother of) all urban
           legends.  You know the story:  "Please help a dying seven year old
           kid set a world record for receiving the most get well/business
           cards..."  DON'T SEND THEM - read for more info.

    Filelist
        -- This file written and maintained by me.

    Modem.tax
        -- The official response from the FCC concerning the proposed modem
           tax of a few years ago.

    Pull.tabs
        -- A debunking of the claim that collecting pull tabs from aluminum
           cans will provide money for dialysis patients.  (I remember this
           claim all the way back when my grandpa was on dialysis and he died 
           in 1983.)

    afu.booklist
        -- Required reading as defined by the Terrys for anyone wanting to
           become an honorary Terry.  Note:  don't worry, you can read all
           of these and still not be an honorary Terry.

    afu.flame.form
        -- Save time, waste bandwidth with the "Official AFU Flame Form" for
           the recurring usenet idiot.  Written by one of the Terry's.

    afu.west.iv.minutes
        -- Miss AFU West IV?  Bob O'Brien was kind enough to enter the
           mintues for the world to share the experience.

    aids.mary
        -- "Welcome to the world of AIDS" a couple of different flavors.

    aids.million
        -- The number of Americans infected with the AIDS virus has been
           estimated at reaching 1 million 6 times in the past 8 years.

    all.time.dumbest.question
        -- Self explanatory.  (Prepare to be disappointed, though.)

    alligators.in.sewers
        -- Debunking of the alligators in sewers UL.

    are.you.gay
        -- The "gay men get kicked off of an airplane" story.

    blue.stars.contain.acid
        -- A debunking of the recurring threat that school kids are being
           given tatoos that contain LSD that will be absorbed into their body.

    body.in.carpet
        -- The starting point of the college roommates find dead body in
           rolled up carpet stories.

    bozo.tv.legends
        -- "That oughtta hold the little bastards for awhile," and others.

    calendar.act
        -- The British act to adopt the Gregorian calendar.

    cd.length.origin
        -- More pandering to a wife, the length of a CD chosen so it
           could hold Beethoven's 9th symphony?  Nah...

    chocolate.in.love
        -- A debunking of the claim that people eat chocolate because it makes
           them feel like they're in love.

    coriolis.force
        -- How can so many people care about which direction water drains?

    cpt.pugwash.gif
        -- A gif of our favorite comic book character, Cpt. Pugwash.

    cpt.pugwash.dirty.names
        -- A debunking of the rumor that Cpt. Pugwash comics contained 
           characters with double entendre names (Seaman Staines, Master Bates,
           and Roger the Cabin Boy).

    craig.funny
        -- Funny postings (currently only one) about the beloved Craig.
           Includes the classic:  "I think it's stupid.  We collect all these
           business cards, and it turns out nobody wants them."

    craig.gif
        -- A scanned in picture of Craig Shergold in GIF format.  Note:  the
           picture quality is very poor.
           
    crapper.sir.thomas
        -- Debunking of the invention of the flushing toilet by Sir Thomas
           Crapper.

    deep.shit.cookie.recipe
        -- little gator's famous deep shit cookie recipe.

    faces.of.death.review
        -- A review of the non-snuff film, "Faces of Death" by Laurence
           Doering.

    fcc.religious.broadcasting.ban
        -- A debunking of the rumor that Mary O'Hare is still collecting
           signatures for a petition for the FCC to ban all religious
           broadcasting.

    flat.earth.society.flyer
        -- Flyer given out to people wanting info/membership to the Flat
           Earth Society.

    fuck.etymology.of
        -- Etymology of the word "fuck", and debunking the theory that it
           originated as an acronym of "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" or
           "Fornication Under Charles the King".

    gerbils.gerbils.and.more
        -- Uncle Cecil gets in gere with a listing of objects found in
           people's anuses (or is that anii?)

    german.us.official.language
        -- The late Cindy Kandolf's debunking of the rumor about German
           "almost" becoming the official language of the USA.

    hamburger.hot.dog.names
        -- Name origins for the All-American food, hamburgers and hot dogs.

    honeymoon.practise
        -- Couple gets "stuck", hurt falling down the stairs, etc. while
           getting in some early practise.  While the parents are away, the
           pussy will play.

    hot.water.freezes.faster
        -- It does, so there.  In certain conditions.

    in.like.flynn
        -- Etymology of the phrase (it came from Errol Flynn's acquittal on
           statutory rape charges).

    king.james.version.bible
        -- The late Cindy Kandolf's information on the KJV Bible, 
           including the lack of Shakespeare help.

    little.mermaid
        -- snopes' letter to Disney asking about the penis on the cover
           of the Little Mermaid video.

    lmermaid.closeup.gif
        -- Close up of the penis in question.  Also scanned in by Patrick S.
           Clark (PATRICKC@cc.usu.edu)

    lmermaid.gif
        -- The Little Mermaid cover, penis and all.  Scanned in by Patrick
           S. Clark (PATRICKC@cc.usu.edu)

    louie.louie.real.words
        -- The real lyrics to the song, "Louie, Louie".  (With the exception
           of the dirty parts, which were removed - this is a family archive.)

    maps.copyright.traps.in
        -- Companies that do, and those that don't include copyright traps in
           their maps, including examples of those that do.

    mrs.fields.cookie.recipe
        -- The $250 cookie recipe provided for you for free, although you can
           send me a donation of only one-fifty for providing it.

    napoleons.lost.bonaparte
        -- Status (?) of the current location of Napoleon's ManTool.

    nylon.etymology.of
        -- snopes' posting from _The Origins and Development of the English
           Language_ on the etymology of the word nylon.

    ok.etymology.of
        -- Cecil Adams' list of all possible origins.  OK, maybe not all.

    party.at.kitty.and.studs
        -- Ooh, pornography.  And a review.  The Big Peter reviews
           Sylvester Stallone's first movie, the porno "Party at Kitty and
           Studs."

    pi.indiana.
        -- They call themselves "Hoosiers."

    poinsettia.poisonous.plants
        -- Exactly how poisonous are poinsettias?  There has been only 1
           recorded death of a child from eating the plant (in 1919).

    silly.pussy.etymology.of
        -- Etymology of the words, "silly" and "pussy".

    snapple.rumor
        -- Debunking of rumors against Snapple and other drink companies.
          
    snopes.afuul.scale
        -- snopes' AFU UL (pronouced AWFUL) scale of stupid questions about
           the most common urban legends.  Give it 3 Shergolds.

    snopes.unusual.facts.and.fiction
        -- A collection of sources to look up common urban legends (in case
           you don't believe the False label in the FAQ).  Written by snopes.

    spanish.fly
        -- It doesn't work.  Buy flowers instead.

    subliminal.advertising.from.the.straight.dope
        -- Cecil Adams on subliminal advertising.

    subliminal.messages.sources
        -- Sources for showing why subliminal advertising doesn't work.
           Evidence for why it doesn't is given in three sources for you to
           Xerox and show to your doubting friends.

    thatd.be.the.butt.bob
        -- No, you didn't see it.  No, you don't have it on tape.  No, your
           friend didn't and doesn't either.

    toothbrushes.on.vacation.
        -- You all have a foaf that went on vacation only to return with 
           undeveloped pictures of their toothbrushes up some burglar's butt.

    tuna.labels.
        -- The cat food labeled as tuna story, again.

    urban.legends
        -- Review of JHB's forthcoming book and discussion of what an urban
           legend is.

    white.hair
        -- Nobody's hair turns white over night.  Go away.

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Directory /misc/fun/urban.legends/old.faqs

Old FAQ lists (afu and afc) and other updating postings.

    afc.faq.93.mar.1
    afu.faq.92.aug.17
    afu.faq.92.dec.8
    afu.faq.92.jul.1
    afu.faq.92.jun.15
    afu.faq.92.nov.1
    afu.faq.92.oct.1
    afu.faq.92.sep.1
    afu.faq.93.feb.27
    afu.faq.93.jan.22
    afu.faq.93.jan.4
    afu.guide.93.feb.6

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