F*cking with e-mail scammers

Why hello there, reader of this obscure little blog. Please allow me to ask your opinion about something. As I'm sure you do too, I receive lots of SPAM. Haven't you always been curious about the person(s) behind the messages imploring your assistance to either transfer a large amount of money and/or make an "investment" in American businesses?

Scanning through the SPAM folder his morning, I received just such a message. The only reason it caught my eye was that I laughed out loud at the random capitalization of some words. My original intention was to merely blog about this precise issue, but then I thought ... hey, wouldn't it be fun to engage this person(s) in a conversation as if I were actually suckered into the scam?

So, gentle reader, what do you think? Shall we play along for a while? I propose that I respond, post it here, and of course ask your ongoing input as to how you think we (as a group) should play the game.

This is the entire message, redacted so that the scammer's address cannot be spotlighted by a 'net spider.

From: "xxxxxxxxxx"
Date: December 23, 2008 12:29:00 AM EST
Subject: Hello / partnership request
Reply-To:

Hello,
I am a Civil Lawyer. I have a Client that has Interest in Investing in Your Country, can You be of Assistance? I shall give Details when You Reply.
xxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxx

Godspeed, Eartha

Eartha Kitt has died. Not only did she entertain us since the 1950s with her unique voice ("Santa Baby" rings a particular bell today, Christmas), but she was also an extremely talented actress. People under the age of 40 and especially those with children may know her best as the deliciously evil and comedic voice of Yzma from "The Emperor's New Groove."

Nobody on the planet has ever made that kitten-ish "grrrrrrrr" sound quite like she did. Godspeed Eartha, and thank you.

Ticker Tastes

I wish that I had the technology and/or smarts to visually illustrate my point (although I probably have both, but frankly you're not worth the time I'd have to spend to demonstrate the fact).

As a news junkie, I've recently noticed there has been a change in the ways that television networks show tickers. Y'know what I mean. At the bottom of the screen there is up-to-the-minute information regarding subjects as wide ranging as sports scores, headline news items, or school closings.

CNN Headline News has changed from an annoying barely-literate-speed scrolling format to a much more useful static and vertical format. While I'm sure there are people earning zillions of dollars a year whom have determined the on-screen time is the same, it's far more "readable."

EPSN's SportsCenter continues to display the old fashioned rolling text, but they also display a running list of upcoming stories on the right hand side of the television screen.

Of all the recent changes, I have to tip my hat to WBZ-TV Channel 4 in Boston for the most helpful and wisest user-friendly ticker when it comes to the subject of school closings.

For years I've waited (im)patiently for the local news stations' tickers' alphabetical list to roll 'round to my town to learn about a school delay and/or closing. WBZ split their ticker into two bars -- one for public schools, and the other into the more obscure institutions such as dance academies, choirs, church groups, and hermaphrodite support groups.

Not that there's anything wrong with a support group for hermaphrodites.

Best Pictures of 2008

Continuing my recent theme of year-end lists, click here to see the Boston.com compilation of the year's best photographs.

TSG's Best Mugshots of 2008

The Smoking Gun has finally posted the 2008 Mug Shots of the Year. For maximum enjoyment, keep in mind that sometimes you have to click on the associated link which explains the story behind the picture.

17 Degrees? Check. Drunk? Check. Speedo? Check.

That must mean you're participating in the annual Santa Speedo Run. Each year in mid-December, people gather at about 10:00 AM in pubs in downtown Boston. They drink for a few hours, take off all their clothes to reveal Speedos or bikinis, then run through the frigid air. Each runner is responsible to provide at least $250 for a charity. People from all across the country fly to Boston just to drink, run, and raise money! Isn't that so cool? Erm . . . really cold?

I've got to do this next year.

Lots more pictures can be found here.

I got one!

Commenting would be superfluous. Go ahead and laugh, especially if you had one too.

2008 Year-End Google Zeitgeist

Google has released their 2008 Year-End Zeitgeist. I always find this interesting.

After a whirlwind year of election news, economy woes, and the lead-up to the showstopping Summer Games in Beijing, we're looking back to see what was on the minds of Americans through it all. One thing's for sure: it was a wild ride.

Kimmel's Funny, Damon's a Good Sport

As you may know, Jimmy Kimmel ends each broadcast by "apologizing" to Matt Damon because he's run out of time, so Matt won't be on the show. Unless you live under a rock, you've seen or at least heard about the Sarah Silverman (Kimmel's real-life girlfriend) and Damon video wherein Sarah tells Jimmy that she's secretly been "f*ing Matt Damon."

Being the good sport that Damon is, here's a recent clip from Kimmel's show.

Matt Damon Does Bourne, Kimmel Style - watch more funny videos

Mario Kart Love Song

Back in 1996 or 1997 my sons and I got a Nintendo 64 system. It came with Mario Kart. There is no possible way for me to even begin to estimate how many times we played it over the years.

If you're not familiar with the game, don't bother clicking this to hear a very clever love song about protecting the one for whom you care from red shells, blue shells, Bowser, and DK.

I let everybody win. My two teenage sons, my 6-year-old daughter, and especially an over-confident young lady named Dana. *shrug* It makes them feel good for a few minutes when I throw the race at the last possible moment. It's very difficult to lose a game and look like you're really trying to win.

The blue shell is coming
So I'll go ahead
If you hang behind
It will hit me instead

Cool Photography Site

To view thousands upon thousands of great user-submitted photographs, check out Pixdaus.

1986 Rewind .... Oh Yeaaaaaah

Tonight I made a particularly favorite meal of my son's, and when he put down his fork he said "oh yeaaaaaaah."

I of course responded by loudly whispering "chick-chick-it-chick-it-ahhhhhh" in reference to the song by the band Yellow from the classic "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

He looked at me with a puzzled expression somewhere between I had lost my mind and "wow that was funky, daddy-o."

Leap back to the mid-1980's and listen to one of the zillions of snippets from the song available on YouTube. This one is particularly amusing because of the bizarre imagery.

Ferris: I do have a test today. That wasn't bullshit. It's on European socialism. I mean, really, what's the point? I'm not European. I don't plan on being European. So who cares if they're socialists? They could be fascist anarchists. It still doesn't change the fact that I don't own a car. Not that I condone fascism, or any -ism for that matter. -Ism's in my opinion are not good. A person should not believe in an -ism, he should believe in himself. I quote John Lennon, "I don't believe in The Beatles, I just believe in me." Good point there. After all, he was the walrus. I could be the walrus. I'd still have to bum rides off people.

Wes Welker is one tough motherf*cker

You can love, hate, or be indifferent about the Patriots. But you can't deny that Wes Welker is one seriously tough motherf*cker. I can't even begin to imagine how much this hit must have hurt. But Wes got up under his own power. We don't even need to mention how many receptions and kick returns he's had this year. The guy must have a titanium skeleton to take this kind of abuse week after week.