Most Interesting Urban Legends

[PWNED]

I myself have been really interested in UIrban Legends lately and was wondering what other people on Otakuboards' favourite Urban Myths. This thread will revolve around trying to figure out if other members Urban Myths are true or false.

One of my favourites is this one about Seventh graders in California being subjected to an intense three-week course in Islam in which they are required to pray to Allah and memorize Koran verses.
According to the web site I found it on It hasn't been proven and I don't know what to think.

Course has 7th-graders memorizing Koran verses, praying to Allah In the wake of Sept. 11, an increasing number of California public school students must attend an intensive three-week course on Islam, reports ASSIST News Service.

The course mandates that seventh-graders learn the tenets of Islam, study the important figures of the faith, wear a robe, adopt a Muslim name and stage their own jihad. Adding to this apparent hypocrisy, reports ANS, students must memorize many verses in the Koran, are taught to pray "in the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful" and are instructed to chant, "Praise to Allah, Lord of Creation."

"We could never teach Christianity like this," one outraged parent told ANS. Elizabeth Christina Lemings, a teacher in the Byron, Calif., Union School District, was unaware of the course until her seventh-grade son brought home the handouts. Obtained by ANS, the handouts include a history of Islam and the life of Muhammad, its founder. There are 25 Islamic terms that must be memorized, six Islamic (Arabic) phrases, 20 Islamic proverbs to learn along with the Five Pillars of Faith and 10 key Islamic prophets and disciples to be studied.

Do you think it is true or False? As I stated I don't know what to think but I am leaning towards the false side.

[Lafleur]

[COLOR=DarkRed]Sounds like horse ****. You can't get a bunch of seventh-graders to go to Gym unless you offer them somthing sweet, let alone force them to praise a god that the ever-ignorant-teenager probably hates.

[/COLOR]

[AzureWolf]

[QUOTE]There are 25 Islamic terms that must be memorized, six Islamic (Arabic) phrases, 20 Islamic proverbs to learn along with the Five Pillars of Faith and 10 key Islamic prophets and disciples to be studied.[/QUOTE] [COLOR=teal]Well, except for the whole forcing them to pray and change their names thing, I think it's a great idea and hope it is true. Learning about other cultures, religions, and languages is very helpful. When those kids come across people in prayer or saying proverbs, they won't be befuddled. Instead, they will understand the background and meaning behind what they see.

Knowing the differences between people will show how different you aren't. ^^[/COLOR]

[Maully]

[COLOR=SeaGreen]I agree with Azure, broadening one's mind is hardly a bad thing.

As to Urban Legends, I'm a big fan of the old ones that are pretty debunked, like sewer gators and dogs in microwaves. Not that I condone putting a dog in a microwave, that's not what I meant at all. Pop rocks and Pepsi Cola... It feels funny in my mouth.

Frankly I'm still looking for Jimmy Hoffa. Guy's gotta be somewhere, ya know.[/COLOR]

[Ozymandius Jones]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]Ha. A subject near and dear to my own heart...I love urban legends, so much that [url=http://www.snopes.com]Snopes[/url] is on my favorites list. Incidentally, the story that you're talking about is currently "unclear" as to wheter it's true or not, as seen [URL=http://www.snopes.com/religion/islam.htm ]here[/URL].

Urban Legends amuse me greatly, such as the whole [URL=http://www.recmusicbeatles.com/public/files/faqs/pid.html]"Paul is Dead"[/URL] thing, and [my personal favorite], "The Choking Doberman"

[I]It happened in Las Vegas. A woman returned from work and found her large dog, a Doberman, lying on the floor gasping for air. Concerned over the animal's welfare, she immediately loaded the pet into her car and drove him to a veterinarian.

The vet examined the dog but finding no reason for his breathing difficulties, announced that he'd have to perform a tracheotomy and insert tubes down the animal's throat so he could breathe. He explained that it wasn't anything she'd want to watch and urged the woman to go home and leave the Doberman there overnight.

When the woman returned home, the phone was ringing off the hook. She answered it, and was surprised to discover it was the vet. Even more surprising was his message -- "Get out of the house immediately! Go to the neighbor's and call the police!"

It seems that when the vet performed the operation, he found a very grisly reason for the dog's breathing difficulty -- three human fingers were lodged in its throat. Concerned that the person belonging to the dismembered fingers might still be in the house, he phoned to warn the woman.

According to the story, police arrived at her house and found an unconscious intruder, sans fingers, lying in a closet. [/I]

I have no clue why I like that one, except it's pretty much been disproved.

Oh, and PopRocks + Coke = fizzy mouth and your stomach feels funny for maybe an hour. I can testify you don't explode, unless I'm just special or something. :p[/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting.

As I live out in the country I'm not really privy to many Urban Legends, not that I heard of any back when I did live in the town. Although now that I think about it I do recall there used to be a rumour about a man who used to be seen walking around the green of a housing estate we lived in while our current home was being renovated.

The rumour or story said that the man used to be seen on nights of the full moon dressed in tattered clothes and searching for children to kidnap. He actually seen more than a few times although when "debunked" it was revealed to be one of brothers of a friend of mine who had started to story as a way to frighten children. Still it was thrilling while it lasted, as often groups of seven or eight adventures nine year olds would venture down to the green at night to try and find this bogeyman.[/SIZE]

[Jeebs]

Over at Bungie's website (video game company who may Halo), they have a story about a dog named Ling-Ling who had its head chopped off by an intruder. The owners put up a wanted poster (see attachment). It is said that when Bungie moved to their Chicago office they found Ling-Ling's head in a jar and kept it. Here's a quote from the site talking about Ling-Ling:

"Dog's head in a jar. Has mystical significance. But it's too nasty to think about. Especially if you think about opening the jar, and drinking the head-water down in one mighty draft. DANGER! Do not juxtapose Tijuana Mama with Ling Ling! When the jar containing Ling Ling finally breaks, as it must, Bungie will make a sequel to Gnop!"

If you set your Xbox's clock to all sevens and load up the map Zanzibar on Halo 2 you can see a wanted poster with a dog's head that says "Are you finding Ling-Ling's head?" covering the shark signs on the beach.

[Sage Kaley]

I love Urban Legends though my favorites are still the classic ones, like the ones Ozy mentioned. I used to sit around with my friends and we'd take turns telling urban legends. Good times, good times.

Ah but yes, my personal favorites include the one in which a couple are 'parking', they hear a noise and the boyfriend goes to see what it is. He is caught and hanged by the killer, thrown over a tree and his body bangs against the car all night, scaring the girlfriend.

I also love the one in which a girl driving down the road at night flashes her headlights at a mysterious car and they give chase to her. I believe that one is gang inspired. This one still gives me a creep when I see a car driving towards us at night.

I think everyone's tried pop rocks and coke before. That's an interesting taste going down...

Oh and don't forget the uber classic 'hook hand stuck in the car door' one. Gotta love Urban Legends.