Friday 30 October 2009

HUGE VIRUS COMING: PLEASE READ & FORWARD

I received this from a friend the other day:

Hi All,

I checked with Norton Anti-Virus, and they are gearing up for this virus!
I checked Snopes, and it is for real. Get this E-mail message sent around to all your contacts ASAP.& nbsp;

PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS!

You should be alert during the next few days. Do not open any message with an attachment entitled 'POSTCARD FROM HALLMARK,'regardless of who sent it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which 'burns' the whole hard disc C drive of your computer.

This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address on his/her contact list. That is the reason why you need to send this e-mail to all your contacts. It is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it!

If you receive a mail called' POSTCARD,' even if it is sent to you by a friend, do not open it! Shut down your computer immediately. This is the worst virus announced by CNN.

It has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever. This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information is kept.

COPY THIS E-MAIL, AND SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS.
REMEMBER: IF YOU SEND IT TO THEM, YOU WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US


This is a hoax.

Please check out these links:


I googled "POSTCARD FROM HALLMARK", and these links above were in the top 10 results.

From the Urban Legends site:

Some versions of this hoax claim the information was "verified" on Snopes.com. This is NOT true. What has been verified on Snopes.com is adifferent e-card virus threat with a similar name. (see http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_you_received_greeting_card.htm)

DO beware of phony "Hallmark" (or other) e-card notices -- they may carry a real virus.

DON'T be confused by the false descriptions in the emails quoted below.

From the Snopes site:

Although the Postcard virus is real, it isn't a "BIG VIRUS COMING" (It's already been around in multiple forms for a long time now), it will not "burn the whole hard disk" of your computer, CNN didn't classify it as the "worst virus" ever...


The link from Skylark Networks shows a picture of a real email notice from Hallmark, so if you should receive an e-card email, you can verify that it's legit or suspect.

From Tamworth Police re Missing 3 yr old Girl - just look a the picture, you never know


I received this from a friend of mine the other day:

Brett Davies at Tamworth Police.

IF YOUR CHILD WAS MISSING WOULDN ' T YOU PRAY THAT EVERYONE PASSED THIS EMAIL ON?!!!
PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING. LOOK AND FORWARD. A 3-year-old girl named Reachelle Marie Smith is missing

You never know where this e-mail could end up and I ' m not going to stop passing this one around if it means a little girl can be found!!!
Please spread this picture far and wide.....You just never know. Someone you know might know her!



BEFORE YOU DELETE THIS, LOOK AT THE CHILD.. DO IT AGAIN. NOW SEND IT TO ALL IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK. IT TAKES ONLY 10 SECONDS. THANK YOU!


This is a hoax. Check out the following links:

It's possible that the original story was true, that there really was a child that had gone missing. However, over time, the details have changed. The original email associated with this particular message was about a little girl in North Dakota, which is a long way away from New South Wales, Australia.


The chances that someone would actually recognise the child through an email are very remote. And, even if you did see the child, who would you contact? There are no contact details in the email.


So, please be wary when you receive this. Check the source, before passing it on.

Tuesday 9 June 2009

Stuff Christians Like

A friend of mine sent me an except from this blog today. So very cool. Check it out: Stuff Christians Like

The humour is much like Adrian Plass. If you get a chance, read some of his books, especially the "sacred diaries". Classic!

Wednesday 13 May 2009

Bad Movie

I received this from a friend the other day:

The movie Corpus Christi is due to be released this June to August.
This disgusting film set to appear in America later this year and it
depicts Jesus and his disciples as homosexuals! As a play, this has
already been in theatres for a while. It's called Corpus Christi ' which
means 'The Christ Body.' It's a revolting mockery of our Lord. But, we
can make a difference. That's why I am sending this e-mail to you. If you
do send this around, we may be able to prevent this film from showing in
America and South Africa. Apparently, some regions in Europe have already
banned the film. We need a lot of prayers and a lot of e-mails.

As a Christian I want to take a stand in what I believe in and stop the
mockery of Jesus Christ our Savior.

At the risk of a bit of inconvenience, I'm forwarding this to all I think
would appreciate it. Please help us prevent such offenses against our
Lord. It will take you less than 2 minutes! If you are not interested, and
do not have the 2 Minutes it will take to do this , please just delete
this, but ..remember, Jesus said 'Deny Me on earth and I'll deny you
before my Father'.


A quick google search shows that this is a hoax. Check out the following links:



From the Urban Legends website:

... as it currently stands there's no evidence anywhere — not in the trades, not in the entertainment magazines, nor on the many online movie news sites — that a "gay Jesus" film is now in production or even being considered for production. Moreover, these false alarms keep cropping up despite a quarter-century of efforts to disprove them...


... Returning to contemporary variants of the petition, I'm obliged to acknowledge that there's a grain of truth to them, namely the claim that a stage play exists portraying Jesus and the apostles as gay. Written by Terrence McNally, the play is called Corpus Christi and premiered in 1998. However, no plans to adapt it into movie form have ever been announced...


Please check it out for yourself before passing it onto others.

Wednesday 29 April 2009

Lipstick

I received this from a friend the other day:

From: Dr. Nahid Neman Who works in the breast cancer unit at
Mt. Sinai Hospital , in Toronto .
If there is a female you care anything about, Share this with her. I did!!!!!
I am also sharing this with the males on my e-mail list,
Because they need to tell the females
THEY care about as well!

Recently a lipstick brand called 'Red Earth'
Decreased their prices from
$67 to $9.90.

It contained lead.
Lead is a chemical which causes cancer.
The lipstick brands that contain lead are:

CHRISTIAN DIOR

LANCOME

CLINIQUE

Y.S.L

ESTEE LAUDER

SHISEIDO

RED EARTH (Lip Gloss)

CHANEL (Lip Conditioner)

MARKET AMERICA-MOTNES LIPSTICK.

The higher the lead content,
The greater the chance of causing cancer.

After doing a test on lipsticks,
It was found that the Y.S.L. Lipstick
Contained the most amount of lead.
Watch out for those lipsticks
Which are supposed to stay longer.
If your lipstick stays longer, it is
Because of the higher content of lead.

Here is the test you can do yourself:

1. Put some lipstick on your hand.

2. Use a Gold ring to scratch on the lipstick.
3. If the lipstick colour changes to black,
Then you know the lipstick contains lead.

Please send this information to all your girlfriends,
Wives and female family members.

This information is being circulated at
Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Dioxin Carcinogens cause cancer,
Especially breast cancer.


I believe this may be a hoax. Check out the following links:



From the Urban Legends website:
2006 Update: A new version of this message circulating since September 2006 contains the additional claim that the material was authored by a Dr. Nahid Neman of the breast cancer unit of Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto. No such person exists.

2007 Update: New test results published by a consumer advocacy group, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, have confirmed the outcome of previous tests which found that some name-brand lipsticks sold in the United States do contain trace amounts of lead.

One-third of the 33 products tested contained an amount of lead in excess of 0.1 parts per million, the group said, which is the U.S. Food & Drug Administration's upper limit for allowable lead in candy. The FDA has not set an overall limit for lead in cosmetics, though it does regulate how much lead is permitted in coloring agents used in their manufacture.

The consumer group is calling for reformulation of the lead-containing products and stricter oversight by the Food & Drug Administration. FDA spokesperson Stephanie Kwisnek responded in a statement to the Associated Press that the agency will examine the new test results and determine what action, "if any," may be needed to protect public health.



From the Red Earth website:
Do red earth products contain lead?

The manufacture of our lipsticks is under GMP principles and all the raw materials used are carefully chosen for their efficacy & purity. Heavy metals including, but not limited to, lead together with microbial cleanliness and chemical stability are of our prime concern without compromises.

We have randomly selected a representation of our lip products and submitted them to an accredited laboratory for total lead testing. Results reflected that lead was below detectable level and not constituted any part of our lipstick formulation. Reports are available at request.


Please check the contents of cosmetics that you wear, to be sure that they do not contain harmful ingredients.

Thursday 2 April 2009

Mobile Phone Numbers go public next month

I received this from a friend today:

REMEMBER: Mobile Phone Numbers Go Public next month.

REMINDER all mobile phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you may start to receive sale calls.

YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS (message bank etc)

Below is a link where you can enter your phone numbers online to put an end to telemarketing calls

https://www.donotcall.gov.au/


A quick google search came up with these links:


From the Hoax-Slayer site:
Note however that while the claims in the email about the release of mobile phone numbers is untrue, the "Do Not Call" register itself is real and perfectly legitimate


There's also a reference on the Australian Communications and Media Authority. From this site is the following interesting comment:

While the email refers to the Australian Do Not Call Register website, it appears to have originated in North America a number of years ago and has been intermittently circulating since that time. The reference to consumers being 'charged' arises from the different charging regime for mobile calls in the USA, where often charges are incurred by mobile phone users for calls they receive. This charging regime does not apply in Australia.


So by all means put your mobile phone on the Do Not Call Register. This is a service provided by the Australian Government for phone numbers that are primarily for private or domestic purposes - business numbers do not qualify.

Sunday 15 March 2009

Worlds Greatest Shave



This year I participated in the Worlds Greatest Shave, a fundraising event for the Leukaemia Foundation. The funds we raise will help the Leukaemia Foundation to provide practical care and support to patients and families living with leukaemias, lymphomas, myeloma and related blood disorders.

Below are the photos from the event. Thank you to everyone who sponsored me, and thank you to those who made the event a success.




Update: I've put the video up on YouTube:

Tuesday 3 March 2009

Removal of Joyce Meyer and other christian content from the airwaves

I received this from a friend the other day:

An organization has been granted a Federal Hearing on the same subject by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington , D.C. Their petition, Number 2493, would ultimately pave the way to stop the reading of the gospel of our Lord and Savior, on the airwaves of America . They got 287,000 signatures to back their stand! If this attempt is successful, all Sunday worship services being broadcast on the radio or by television will be stopped. This group is also campaigning to remove all Christmas programs and Christmas carols from public schools! You as a Christian can help!

We are praying for at least 1 million signatures. This would defeat their effort and show that there are many Christians alive, well and concerned about our country. As Christians, we must unite on this. Please don't take this lightly. We ignored one lady once and lost prayer in our schools and in offices across the nation. Please stand up for your religious freedom and let your voice be heard. Together we can make a difference in our country while creating an opportunity for the lost to know the Lord.

Please, if you don't wish to participate, return this email to whoever sent it to you so they can at least keep this email going or forward it to some one you know who will wish to participate. Dr. Dobson is going on CNBC to urge every Christian to get involved. I hope you will sign and forward to all your family and friends.


This is a hoax. Please read the following links, and then forward this message onto whoever you sent the original message to:



From the urban legends website:
Comments: False. The unauthorized addition of Dr. James Dobson's name to this pointless petition is only the latest of many attempts over the past three decades to make the document seem legitimate, which it is not.

"Petition 2493," supposedly an effort by atheists to ban all religious broadcasting in the United States, does not exist. Nor, at the time the variant above was circulating, was the TV show Touched by an Angel in danger of being canceled due to its religious content. Atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair is dead, and has been for many years. There is currently no organized campaign on behalf of atheists to remove the word "God" from television.



When you receive something like this, don't accept it at face value - check the source. Google it - I copied the title into Google, and got the Urban Legends site in the top 5. It took me all of 2 minutes to do, and will stop false rumours from being spread around.