Fwd:

I love the Inter-Web for oh-so many reasons. One of them is that it affords the ability to easily research any number of topics.

Recently Uber-husband and I were in the market for a new cell phone plan and, of course, new cell phones.

I knew I wanted a camera phone but there are so many of varying prices out there.

So I started researching them. One of my favorite places to research electronics is PC Magazine.

I determined that we had to get this one: The Motorola Razr.

It's a bit pricey but with tax-return money burning a hole in my pocket, Bill and I each got one.

And why did I have to have the Razr?

Not only is it supa thin, but I can download the pictures I take with it via bluetooth connection to my computer.

I mean, how cool is that?

We just got our phones Wednesday and I haven't had the time (busying hanging with my 'rents) to make sure the bluetooth option is going to work for us, but they are such awesome phones with crystal-clear reception and easy-to-use features, I'm in love.

Another recent tax-refund purchase was the decidedly less sexy Eureka carpet cleaner.
My Internet research led me to the Hoover SteamVac V2, but the $280 price tag was just too much for me since we only have a room and a half of carpeting (albeit white carpeting ... some fool decided white wouldn't be to hard to maintain. That fool needs a swift kick ... oh wait, it was me.)

I read about the Eureka's tendency to leave carpets wetter than others. So I was careful to suck more than rinse and have been very happy with this cleaner.

So a big two thumbs up for these Internet-researched products.

I do, however, have one giant beef with one thing that the cyberworld has fostered. And it is urban legends and other phony stories that are sent via e-mail and then forwarded from person to person.

I receive so many of these e-mails from well-intentioned friends and family. I amazed that we tend to believe the claims simply because ... that's just it, I don't know why we are so easily duped.

I received an e-mail from a very bright friend of mine claiming that tampon companies were adding asbestos to tampons because it makes us bleed more and, therefore, need to buy more tampons.

Just this week, my lovely mother-in-law forwarded a claim that the evil Hillary Rodham Clinton was the only senator who refused to meet with a group of mothers whose children were killed in war.

Both were compelling claims. Well written with what seemed to be many details proving that their claims were true.

Both are utterly false.

How do I know?

I researched them on Snopes.com and Truthorficiton.com .

Both these sites research urban legends and other Internet claims and give detailed and documented explanations. Some of the claims they research are true. Most are not.

As much as I'm annoyed by the fact that these phony claims are tainting the minds of many, I do love to get these e-mail simply so I can debunk them.