Guest Author - Lana R. Mixon

Are there anti-religious themes in The Golden Compass? Who is La Llorona? Can you cook an egg with your cell phone? What do these questions have in common?? Well, they are among the list of topics that have been queried on the Urban Legends site within the last month.

And, as I scrolled through my home e-mails last week, I noticed two messages that blatantly stood out. One is interestingly titled: “Effects of Cold Water” and the other “Health Issue”. These e-mails were from acquaintances.

I, like most people, have at least one annoying habit. I absolutely love ice cold water and/or diet drinks filled with crush ice that I can crunch. Luckily, my husband has adjusted to this habit of mine and being addicted to crushed ice isn’t so bad in the big scheme of things! I live in the South where coats and sweaters are almost extinct, so I enjoy ice cold drinks throughout the year.

The “Effects of Cold Water” warning is cleverly written and contains a professional looking diagramed heart. It basically states that drinking cold water after meals leads to Cancer.

This is where gullibility stepped in. I should have researched the e-mail first, but it appeared so believable! So, I naively forwarded it to my husband, who is in the health field, and ask him his opinion. He responded with the following statement: “The info about heart attacks not always causing the same symptoms is accurate, but the rest is bull crap.” He has a simple way of putting things into perspective! So, I did research it and my husband appears to be correct on this one. I was quite relieved that I can still enjoy my ice cold drinks without fear of cancer!

The e-mail titled “Health Issue” is somewhat trickier. This e-mail issues a warning, through a You Tube video, about bacteria carrying lemon wedges that are served on beverages in restaurants. According to www.snopes.com, it is a mixture of truth and falsehood. I would describe it as an issue that warrants a broader scope of research.


Last week was no different than any other, except that in retrospect, I may have been just a tad bit gullible about a cold water e-mail hoax!