Why do people believe the most extraordinary things? Often, I suspect, because they come across something that they subconsciously want to be true.

Here is a taster from the excellent Dihydrogen Monoxide web site.

Below it is a warning about bread. It’s an old chestnut of the internet but still with value.

 

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What are some of the dangers associated with DHMO?

Each year, Dihydrogen Monoxide is a known causative component in many thousands of deaths and is a major contributor to millions upon millions of dollars in damage to property and the environment. Some of the known perils of Dihydrogen Monoxide are:

• Death due to accidental inhalation of DHMO, even in small quantities.

• Prolonged exposure to solid DHMO causes severe tissue damage.

• Excessive ingestion produces a number of unpleasant though not typically life-threatening side-effects.

• DHMO is a major component of acid rain.

• Gaseous DHMO can cause severe burns.

• Contributes to soil erosion.

• Leads to corrosion and oxidation of many metals.

• Contamination of electrical systems often causes short-circuits.

• Exposure decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes.

• Found in biopsies of pre-cancerous tumors and lesions.

• Often associated with killer cyclones in the U.S. Midwest and elsewhere.

·      Thermal variations in DHMO are a suspected contributor to the El Nino weather effect.

What are some uses of Dihydrogen Monoxide?

Despite the known dangers of DHMO, it continues to be used daily by industry, government, and even in private homes across the U.S. and worldwide. Some of the well-known uses of Dihydrogen Monoxide are:

• as an industrial solvent and coolant,

• in nuclear power plants,

• by the U.S. Navy in the propulsion systems of some older vessels,

• by elite athletes to improve performance,

• in the production of Styrofoam,

• in biological and chemical weapons manufacture,

• as a spray-on fire suppressant and retardant,

• in abortion clinics,

• as a major ingredient in many home-brewed bombs,

• as a byproduct of hydrocarbon combustion in furnaces and air conditioning compressor operation,

• in cult rituals,

• by the Church of Scientology on their members and their members' families (although surprisingly, many members recently have contacted DHMO.org to vehemently deny such use),

• by both the KKK and the NAACP during rallies and marches,

• by pedophiles and pornographers (for uses we'd rather not say here),

• by the clientele at a number of homosexual bath houses in New York City and San Francisco,

• historically, in Hitler's death camps in Nazi Germany, and in prisons in Turkey, Serbia, Croatia, Libya, Iraq and Iran,

• in World War II prison camps in Japan, and in prisons in China, for various forms of torture,

• by the Serbian military as authorized by Slobodan Milosevic in their ethnic cleansing campaign,

• by many terrorist organizations,

• in community swimming pools to maintain chemical balance,

• by software engineers, including those producing DICOM software SDKs,

• in animal research laboratories, and

• in pesticide production and distribution.

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Bread – a health hazard

A recent Cincinnati Enquirer headline read, “Smell of baked bread may be health hazard.” The article went on to describe the dangers of the smell of baking bread. The main danger, apparently, is that the organic components of this aroma may break down ozone (I'm not making this stuff up).

I was horrified. When are we going to do something about bread-induced global warming? Sure, we attack tobacco companies, but when is the government going to go after Big Bread?

Well, I've done a little research, and what I've discovered should make anyone think twice.

• More than 98 percent of convicted felons are bread eaters.

• Fully HALF of all children who grow up in bread-consuming households score below average on standardized tests.

• In the 18th century, when virtually all bread was baked in the home, the average life expectancy was less than 50 years; infant mortality rates were unacceptably high; many women died in childbirth; and diseases such as typhoid, yellow fever and influenza ravaged whole nations.

• More than 90 percent of violent crimes are committed within 24 hours of eating bread.

• Bread is made from a substance called “dough.” It has been proven that as little as one pound of dough can be used to suffocate a mouse. The average American eats more bread than that in one month!

• Primitive tribal societies that have no bread exhibit a low occurrence of cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and osteoporosis.

• Bread has been proven to be addictive. Subjects deprived of bread and given only water to eat begged for bread after only two days.

• Bread is often a “gateway” food item, leading the user to “harder” items such as butter, jelly, peanut butter and even cold cuts.

• Bread has been proven to absorb water. Since the human body is more than 90 percent water, it follows that eating bread could lead to your body being taken over by this absorptive food product, turning you into a soggy, gooey bread-pudding person.

• Newborn babies can choke on bread.

• Bread is baked at temperatures as high as 400 degrees Fahrenheit! That kind of heat can kill an adult in less than one minute.

• Most American bread eaters are utterly unable to distinguish between significant scientific fact and meaningless statistical babbling.

 

In light of these frightening statistics, we propose the following bread restrictions:

• No sale of bread to minors.

• No advertising of bread within 1000 feet of a school.

• A 300 percent federal tax on all bread to pay for all the societal ills we might associate with bread.

• No animal or human images, nor any primary colors (which may appeal to children) may be used to promote bread usage.

• A $4.2 zillion fine on the three biggest bread manufacturers. Please send this e-mail on to everyone you know who cares about this crucial issue.

 

Remember: Think globally, act idiotically.