Virus Hoax Warnings

"Virus Hoaxes"

Virus Hoax Warnings: Page 61 of 81

Exploding Whale Story

September 2002

Here is another one that I cannot resist including. The exploding whale
story has also been going around for years and has its own website. The
actual event occurred in 1970 in Oregon. Video of the event is available
on the Exploding Whale website.

I am absolutely not making this incident up; in fact I have it all on
videotape. The tape is from a local TV news show in Oregon, which sent a
reporter out to cover the removal of a 45-foot, eight-ton dead whale
that washed up on the beach. The responsibility for getting rid of the
carcass was placed upon the Oregon State Highway Division, apparently on
the theory that highways and whales are very similar in the sense of
being large objects.

So anyway, the highway engineers hit upon the plan -- remember, I am not
making this up -- of blowing up the whale with dynamite. The thinking
here was that the whale would be blown into small pieces, which would be
eaten by sea gulls, and that would be that. A textbook whale removal.

So they moved the spectators back up the beach, put a half-ton of
dynamite next to the whale and set it off. I am probably not guilty of
understatement when I say that what follows, on the videotape, is the
most wonderful event in the history of the universe. First you see the
whale carcass disappear in a huge blast of smoke and flame. Then you
hear the happy spectators shouting "Yayy!" and "Whee!" Then, suddenly,
the crowd's tone changes. You hear a new sound like "splud." You hear a
woman's voice shouting "Here come pieces of... MY GOD!" Something smears
the camera lens.

Later, the reporter explains: "The humor of the entire situation
suddenly gave way to a run for survival as huge chunks of whale blubber
fell everywhere." One piece caved in the roof of a car parked more than
a quarter of a mile away. Remaining on the beach were several rotting
whale sectors the size of condominium units. There was no sign of the
sea gulls, who had no doubt permanently relocated in Brazil. This is a
very sobering videotape. Here at the institute we watch it often,
especially at parties. But this is no time for gaiety. This is a time to
get hold of the folks at the Oregon State Highway division and ask them,
when they get done cleaning up the beaches, to give us an estimate on
the US Capitol.

61 of 81 pages.

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