By Karla DeLuca 

The Daily Sentinel

My mother and I share a healthy skepticism of anything that sounds too good to be true, can't be backed up by a credible witness (preferably two) or requires that it be passed along to at least 10 other people in order to materialize.

 Sadly, this is not an attribute shared by everyone in my family, my circle of friends or the kind strangers who have included me in a select list of People I Must Warn, PREFERABLY IN ALL CAPS.

 I wish it were.

 I know I should just delete it without reading. Sometimes I do, but most of the time, I can't help myself, especially if it's from someone I know, like my sisters, because I figure it's safe. Well, not really, especially if it's from Marla.

 Still, I usually just scroll, scoff and send to trash.

 But not this last one.

 It wasn't the first time I'd received this warning. I got a similar version more than a year ago. I've now received it more than five times.

 So read it and be afraid. Be very, very afraid.

 Dear Friends:

 I know not all of you are women that I am sending this to, but am hoping you will share this with your wives, daughters, mothers, sisters, etc.

 Our world seems to be getting crazier by the day. Pipe bombs in mail boxes and sickos in parking lots with perfume. Be careful. I was approached yesterday afternoon around 5:30 p.m. in the Wal-Mart parking lot by two males asking what kind of perfume I was wearing. Then they asked if I'd like to sample some fabulous scent they were willing to sell me at very reasonable rate.

 I probably would have agreed had I not received an e-mail warning of a "Wanna smell this neat perfume?" scam.

 The men continued to stand between parked cars, I guess to wait for someone else to hit on. I stopped a lady going towards them, pointing at them and told her about how I was sent an e-mail at work about someone walking up to you at the malls or in parking lots and asking you to SNIFF PERFUME that they are selling at a cheap price or at least compare to which one you like best.

 THIS IS NOT PERFUME ... IT IS ETHER!

 When you sniff it, you'll pass out. They'll take your wallet, your valuables and heaven knows what else. If it were not for this e-mail, I probably would have sniffed the "perfume" but thanks to the generosity of an e-mailing friend, I was spared whatever might have happened to me. I wanted to do the same for you.

 Please pass this along to all your women friends and please be alert and be aware. if you are a man and receive this, pass it on to your women friends.

 That last part was printed in all caps, to reinforce the urgency of the warning.

 I know that this isn't true, for many reasons. For one thing, taking a whiff of ether, from a bottle, sprayed into the air or on a card (another version) won't cause anyone to pass out.

 In fact, Dr. Henry Bigelow, the author of "Insensibility during surgical operations produced by inhalation," published in 1846, reported that from his own experience the effects of inhaling doses of pure ether were almost as exhilarating as nitrous oxide, better known as "laughing gas." Dr Bigelow sought to reassure his readers that ether was harmless, recalling how there was "scarcely a school or community in our country where the boys and girls have not inhaled ether, to produce gayety."

 I'm thinking that if that's the case, gas station owners might want to consider offering an ether-soaked card with every fill up.

 I have another good reason for knowing that the story isn't true. I know someone who really did have a job selling cheap knock-offs of brand name perfume at gas stations and discount store parking lots — my daughter.

 Obviously, the skepticism gene skipped a generation.

 This was during a brief and ill-fated "I don't have to go to college, I can support myself." Which she did, for a little while, partly by working, but mostly by incurring a huge debt on easily-obtainable credit cards.

 There was no mention, she said, of any royalties coming to her from being a party to the creation of an Internet urban legend.

 An urban legend that keeps getting passed around to me.

 Personally, I think my version is scarier.

Never Fails Custard Pie

3/4 c. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. hot milk

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 unbaked pie shell

 Mix sugar, salt, vanilla and hot milk. Add to slightly beaten eggs. Mix well and pour into pie shell. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce to 350 degrees and bake until firm.

———

Karla DeLuca is editor and publisher of The Daily Sentinel. Her e-mail address is kdeluca@coxnews.com.