We've all received our fair share of spam emails. They range from Nigerian scam letters to ads for Viagra to admirer emails from "hot" girls to phishing scams. Pretty standard fare, and always to be found in my Junk folder, though occasionally one or two will slip past the spam filter and make its way to my Inbox.
Today I received my first spam IM. Apparently my Yahoo screenname is linked to my Dad's name (not entirely sure why, I may have used my own Yahoo email address when signing my Dad up for something long long ago). So every once in a while I get friend requests on Yahoo from people I don't recognize. I usually ignore them.
This time, however, the spammer was persistent. Despite my hitting "ignore" to the friend add request, it proceeded to IM me. I stared in fascination as the text appeared, sentence by sentence, before me-- almost as if a real live person were actually typing it!
Here's a transcript of the conversation (with my Dad's name changed):
[09:46:36] donaldsonxahaf: hey
[09:46:55] hellykwee: hi
[09:47:05] donaldsonxahaf: Hey Roger*
[09:47:27] donaldsonxahaf: This is difficult for me to do because I'm shy..but I have a crush on you, i have been sending you emails but no response
[09:47:49] donaldsonxahaf: I've never been able to tell you for reasons which you would quickly identify as obvious if you knew who this was.
[09:48:08] donaldsonxahaf: With that said, I want you to guess who I am, and approach me yourself.
[09:48:28] donaldsonxahaf: To help you out with your guessing I made a few pictures and videos with "Roger" written on my body.
[09:48:55] donaldsonxahaf: They're kind of risque photos so I had to make a private profile. look at my screen name on your buddylist and you'll see the link in my status update or you can look at the top of this conversation window. it's for your eyes only
[09:49:19] donaldsonxahaf: My username in the members area is "RogerandME09" (It's a free website but you might need a CC or Debit to verify your age because I had to. Sigh.)
[09:49:44] donaldsonxahaf: once you are inside search for me. I want you to guess who I am and then approach me yourself. I'm shy and this is the bravest thing I've probably ever done, but you need to do the rest.
[09:50:08] hellykwee: sorry, i don't put my card number into websites to verify age
[09:50:09] donaldsonxahaf: i wont ever be able to get on yahoo messenger again this is my only day so come talk with me on the website
[09:50:23] donaldsonxahaf: Kisses, Secret Admirer
[09:50:32] hellykwee: haha, you're funny
[09:50:38] donaldsonxahaf: AWAY MESSAGE - Waiting 4 My crush.. Won't back on here. FOR EVERYONE - If you read this you HAVE TO pull out your cellphone and text the word BARNABAS to the short # 70542. Follow the instructions. If you do this, you are voting for me to win the "hottest person ever contest". HELP!!! i need 1 more vote. If you vote for me tell me and ill love you 4ever
I was laughing too hard at the time, but now I kinda wish I had interjected some commentary of my own earlier on, just to see how well-programmed the spambot was to to handle real-time conversational responses.
Ah well. It gave me a good laugh for the morning. And I have to admit, I was pretty impressed that the grammar and spelling were pretty good-- makes a nice change from the ordinary grammar-error-riddled spam mail we're used to receiving! Someday I will post about the snail mail (yes, you read that right-- SNAIL mail) phishing scam I received a couple years ago...
La Maison des Tortues: One third of the "heckled trio" writes...
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Honest service is hard to find
It occurs to me that in the service-oriented industries whose services we frequently consume, it's very difficult to find an honest, reliable provider. And I don't just mean a friendly smile in your local fast-food establishment, I'm talking about professionals to whom you shell out big bucks for important services. Auto mechanics and plumbers come to the forefront of my mind as an example. As do doctors, dentists, lawyers, realtors, mortgage lenders... all these folks charge a pretty penny for their services, and if you wind up with a bad product/service, it's more than just a bad meal or experience you can shrug about-- this is significant investments of your time, money, and health. Even hairstylists fall under this realm-- while not as life-threatening as a doctor who carelessly prescribes you meds or as bank-breaking as a lawyer who bilks you of hundreds of dollars for idle "work", it's still annoying to come out of the salon with an awful haircut because the stylist didn't know how to work with your hair type.
This is why, twice a year, we pile into the car and make the hour-and-a-half (with good traffic) drive to see the family dentist. Dentists probably rank right up there with auto mechanics for being notorious for doing unneeded work (and charging exorbitantly for it) under the assumption that the average consumer doesn't know any better, and won't realize that he doesn't *really* need this procedure done, or that there is a cheaper alternative. I've experienced my fair share of them when I was at UCSB, whose health insurance policy forced me to use the on-campus dentists. Speaking of health insurance, that expensive thing didn't give me coverage worth crap-- I still ended up paying loads out of my own pocket, especially with dental care. Might as well have seen a non-campus dentist and paid out of my own pocket-- probably would've been cheaper that way! But... that's another rant, for another time.
The reason we travel so far to see our dentist is because he's one of the few honest types you can expect to find. He does his own cleaning, keeps detailed records of the condition of your teeth and compares them from your last visit, and generally prefers to keep an eye on potential problems rather than jump straight into fixes that might not even be necessary. He also mounts LCD monitors on the dental chair so you can see your own X-rays onscreen right after they've been taken. How handy, and much easier than straining to see the film he's holding up against a light on the other side of the room ;-)
There's a crack in one of my back molars that has gotten worse since the last visit. It's not a great cause for worry, but if anything hard gets inside that crack, it could serve as a wedge (think how the wedge shape of an axe head enables it to split wood) and crack the tooth in two. Our dentist didn't outright tell me that I should get it fixed, but gave me a few options: 1) a crown (more expensive, but longer lasting) 2) filling (cheaper) or 3) do nothing-- and just take care not to bite down on anything hard on that side of my mouth. I think at this point it is obvious that work probably should be undertaken on that tooth, but even then he was reluctant to push treatment, since my tooth was still in good shape. Still, prevention at this point is a good idea, and the fact that he wasn't ramming "OMG, you've GOT to get this fixed ASAP!" down my throat makes it that much more palatable.
Time to make an appointment soon...
An honest, reliable, friendly dentist. Hard to find, and well worth the long drive from Santa Barbara to LA twice a year :-)
This is why, twice a year, we pile into the car and make the hour-and-a-half (with good traffic) drive to see the family dentist. Dentists probably rank right up there with auto mechanics for being notorious for doing unneeded work (and charging exorbitantly for it) under the assumption that the average consumer doesn't know any better, and won't realize that he doesn't *really* need this procedure done, or that there is a cheaper alternative. I've experienced my fair share of them when I was at UCSB, whose health insurance policy forced me to use the on-campus dentists. Speaking of health insurance, that expensive thing didn't give me coverage worth crap-- I still ended up paying loads out of my own pocket, especially with dental care. Might as well have seen a non-campus dentist and paid out of my own pocket-- probably would've been cheaper that way! But... that's another rant, for another time.
The reason we travel so far to see our dentist is because he's one of the few honest types you can expect to find. He does his own cleaning, keeps detailed records of the condition of your teeth and compares them from your last visit, and generally prefers to keep an eye on potential problems rather than jump straight into fixes that might not even be necessary. He also mounts LCD monitors on the dental chair so you can see your own X-rays onscreen right after they've been taken. How handy, and much easier than straining to see the film he's holding up against a light on the other side of the room ;-)
There's a crack in one of my back molars that has gotten worse since the last visit. It's not a great cause for worry, but if anything hard gets inside that crack, it could serve as a wedge (think how the wedge shape of an axe head enables it to split wood) and crack the tooth in two. Our dentist didn't outright tell me that I should get it fixed, but gave me a few options: 1) a crown (more expensive, but longer lasting) 2) filling (cheaper) or 3) do nothing-- and just take care not to bite down on anything hard on that side of my mouth. I think at this point it is obvious that work probably should be undertaken on that tooth, but even then he was reluctant to push treatment, since my tooth was still in good shape. Still, prevention at this point is a good idea, and the fact that he wasn't ramming "OMG, you've GOT to get this fixed ASAP!" down my throat makes it that much more palatable.
Time to make an appointment soon...
An honest, reliable, friendly dentist. Hard to find, and well worth the long drive from Santa Barbara to LA twice a year :-)
Friday, September 11, 2009
Friday Five -- sleeping :-)
It's been several months since I've done a Friday Five, hasn't it! Anyone still willing to play? :-) Well, I guess I'll throw this out there and see how it goes.
After being accidentally awakened earlier than planned this morning, I thought this set of Friday Five questions was especially appropriate. I'm sure most of you can guess my answers to these questions already, but hey, indulge me for a moment!
1. What is your morning routine?
2. What is your nightly routine?
3. Do you like to listen to the radio when you sleep or have it quiet?
4. What do you like to sleep in?
5. What is the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning?
1. Well, when I had to adhere to a stricter schedule in my former life and use alarm clocks, I'd set it for approximately an hour before I had to get up, so I could hit the snooze alarm about 5-6 times before finally waking up enough to stumble out of bed. These days, I simply try not to snap the head off any poor soul who happens to cross my path when I first get up ;-) Other than that, my routine is pretty straightforward-- wash my face, brush my hair, brush my teeth, throw on clothes and dash out the door. Breakfast to be eaten at work.
2. Eat some yogurt so my tummy isn't rumbling, brush my teeth (and tongue-- what's the deal with dairy products sticking so tenaciously to your tongue!?), change my son's diaper, set a glass of water and eyeshades within easy reach on my nightstand, and then wind down by reading in bed.
3. Quiet! And I mean dead silence. I don't keep earplugs onhand everywhere I go, for no reason!
4. My bed, of course! :-P Oh, wait... ;-) Comfy flannel pajamas are the best. No socks unless it's terribly cold... which, given that I'm in Santa Barbara and in a well-insulated apartment, doesn't happen often.
5. Hearkening back to my answer to #1: trying not to cause lasting damage when I RAWR at the first person I encounter. I also hiss at the sunlight and think of one of my favorite quotes: "If God had meant for people to enjoy the sunrise, he would've made it at 11:00 am!" Truer words were never spoken!
(in case you couldn't tell already, I am NOT a morning person!)
How about you?
After being accidentally awakened earlier than planned this morning, I thought this set of Friday Five questions was especially appropriate. I'm sure most of you can guess my answers to these questions already, but hey, indulge me for a moment!
1. What is your morning routine?
2. What is your nightly routine?
3. Do you like to listen to the radio when you sleep or have it quiet?
4. What do you like to sleep in?
5. What is the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning?
1. Well, when I had to adhere to a stricter schedule in my former life and use alarm clocks, I'd set it for approximately an hour before I had to get up, so I could hit the snooze alarm about 5-6 times before finally waking up enough to stumble out of bed. These days, I simply try not to snap the head off any poor soul who happens to cross my path when I first get up ;-) Other than that, my routine is pretty straightforward-- wash my face, brush my hair, brush my teeth, throw on clothes and dash out the door. Breakfast to be eaten at work.
2. Eat some yogurt so my tummy isn't rumbling, brush my teeth (and tongue-- what's the deal with dairy products sticking so tenaciously to your tongue!?), change my son's diaper, set a glass of water and eyeshades within easy reach on my nightstand, and then wind down by reading in bed.
3. Quiet! And I mean dead silence. I don't keep earplugs onhand everywhere I go, for no reason!
4. My bed, of course! :-P Oh, wait... ;-) Comfy flannel pajamas are the best. No socks unless it's terribly cold... which, given that I'm in Santa Barbara and in a well-insulated apartment, doesn't happen often.
5. Hearkening back to my answer to #1: trying not to cause lasting damage when I RAWR at the first person I encounter. I also hiss at the sunlight and think of one of my favorite quotes: "If God had meant for people to enjoy the sunrise, he would've made it at 11:00 am!" Truer words were never spoken!
(in case you couldn't tell already, I am NOT a morning person!)
How about you?
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Of babies and time
Wow, two posts in a row ;-) My previous post talked about not having enough time to write, and it's no surprise that kids play a large role in time-sucking. I don't mean that in a bad way. It's tiring, but well worth it. And it can even be fun at times! ;-)
This weekend, while driving back to SB from LA, with the boy and all his stuff in tow, I talked with Ben, the founder of Not One Sparrow, who recently had a new baby himself. He's still in that bleary-eyed-stupor stage where on the one hand he's enjoying fatherhood and even marveling at his little miracle, but on the other has finds himself too worn out to really appreciate it or understand when people say "Enjoy it now, it won't last". I figure, people who say such things either 1) don't have kids themselves or 2) have kids so old they've long forgotten what it's like to take care of helpless babies, unruly toddlers, and defiant kids. Selective amnesia-- they only remember the good parts.
With a five-year-old, I'm still well into the "hurry up and grow up" stage of parenthood, so I could still sympathize with Ben. I told him how I celebrated with glee the day Todd learned to buckle up by himself in his car seat. It may not be a big thing, but when you're running several errands and constantly have to climb into the back seat to buckle him up each time, it gets tiresome!
When I was younger, I'd always imagined I'd like to have two kids. Ideally a boy and a girl. I had it all figured it out-- I'd space them about 5 years apart so that the older one could help take care of the younger one. Then I grew up, and y'know, actually HAD a real kid. And promptly changed my mind. Of course, there were times as Todd was growing older, that I'd see him playing with younger kids, get broody, and wistfully think to myself, "he'd make a great big brother". There were times when I felt sorry for Todd when Allan and I were so busy with day-to-day things, he felt neglected because nobody was playing with him. Having a sibling to play with would ease that. Then I'd look at the messy house, look at our shrinking checkbook (for being as small as they are, these little critters cost an arm and a leg!), and feel the weariness as we plop down to rest after he's gone to bed (with house chores still looming ahead of us) and reality would set back in ;-)
Three of the women in our young couples small group at church have become pregnant at around the same time. Come January/February there will be babies galore. Of course, people naturally turn to the non-pregnant women in the group and start asking when THEY will have kids. And since Todd's old enough now, people also turn to us and ask us if we're having ANOTHER one. Hahaha... funny, people! :-P
I think that if I were able to be a stay-at-home mom, *maybe* I'd give more serious consideration to having another kid. But, we made the decision a year ago that Todd would be it, so here we are. An only child. Just like his mama. And the only grandchild... on both sides! Now who would want to part with that kind of attention? ;-)
This weekend, while driving back to SB from LA, with the boy and all his stuff in tow, I talked with Ben, the founder of Not One Sparrow, who recently had a new baby himself. He's still in that bleary-eyed-stupor stage where on the one hand he's enjoying fatherhood and even marveling at his little miracle, but on the other has finds himself too worn out to really appreciate it or understand when people say "Enjoy it now, it won't last". I figure, people who say such things either 1) don't have kids themselves or 2) have kids so old they've long forgotten what it's like to take care of helpless babies, unruly toddlers, and defiant kids. Selective amnesia-- they only remember the good parts.
With a five-year-old, I'm still well into the "hurry up and grow up" stage of parenthood, so I could still sympathize with Ben. I told him how I celebrated with glee the day Todd learned to buckle up by himself in his car seat. It may not be a big thing, but when you're running several errands and constantly have to climb into the back seat to buckle him up each time, it gets tiresome!
When I was younger, I'd always imagined I'd like to have two kids. Ideally a boy and a girl. I had it all figured it out-- I'd space them about 5 years apart so that the older one could help take care of the younger one. Then I grew up, and y'know, actually HAD a real kid. And promptly changed my mind. Of course, there were times as Todd was growing older, that I'd see him playing with younger kids, get broody, and wistfully think to myself, "he'd make a great big brother". There were times when I felt sorry for Todd when Allan and I were so busy with day-to-day things, he felt neglected because nobody was playing with him. Having a sibling to play with would ease that. Then I'd look at the messy house, look at our shrinking checkbook (for being as small as they are, these little critters cost an arm and a leg!), and feel the weariness as we plop down to rest after he's gone to bed (with house chores still looming ahead of us) and reality would set back in ;-)
Three of the women in our young couples small group at church have become pregnant at around the same time. Come January/February there will be babies galore. Of course, people naturally turn to the non-pregnant women in the group and start asking when THEY will have kids. And since Todd's old enough now, people also turn to us and ask us if we're having ANOTHER one. Hahaha... funny, people! :-P
I think that if I were able to be a stay-at-home mom, *maybe* I'd give more serious consideration to having another kid. But, we made the decision a year ago that Todd would be it, so here we are. An only child. Just like his mama. And the only grandchild... on both sides! Now who would want to part with that kind of attention? ;-)
Is this thing on?
Hello? Does anyone even read this thing anymore? I guess I can hardly fault anyone for not doing so, considering I hardly ever post here. Though I've mostly been too busy to really miss it, I do occasionally think wistfully back to the heyday of my Grab blog and Myspace blog, which really wound up being more of social gatherings, and when I wasn't lacking for things to write about.
Nowadays it seems that one of 4 (5?) things happens:
1. I can't think of anything to write about
2. I can, but I just don't have time to sit down and collect my thoughts
3a. The things I think of are minor and more fitting for my Tumblr blog, Twitter or Facebook.
3b. Related to #3: often when I've written a one-or-two sentence summary of what's on my mind (mostly thanks to FB and Twitter), I find it somewhat unnecessary to delve into more detail here.
4. The things I think of are worthy of more long-winded blogger posts, but are either about Todd, and therefore go into his blog, or about work, and therefore go into my (private) work rant blog.
I wonder what it is about the period from 2005-2008 than brought on such a flurry of ideas. Maybe it was inspiration from other people's posts. Maybe it was a combination of random musings, daily goings-on and silly memes and quizzes. Maybe it was partly because my readers kept me just as entertained.
Then there's the time factor... it's no coincidence that 2008 was when things really started ramping up with Todd-- starting school, starting karate, then eventually swim lessons. 2008 was when we found Hope Community Church and our small group. 2008/2009 was when I really started getting more active on Facebook, with its status updates allowing me to more frequently and efficiently broadcast what's on my mind. I also think that once I stopped getting into the habit of writing frequently, I just couldn't get back into it, even when I did have time.
So, as you can see, 2009 was a pretty sparse blogging year. Hopefully that will change :-) We'll see!
Nowadays it seems that one of 4 (5?) things happens:
1. I can't think of anything to write about
2. I can, but I just don't have time to sit down and collect my thoughts
3a. The things I think of are minor and more fitting for my Tumblr blog, Twitter or Facebook.
3b. Related to #3: often when I've written a one-or-two sentence summary of what's on my mind (mostly thanks to FB and Twitter), I find it somewhat unnecessary to delve into more detail here.
4. The things I think of are worthy of more long-winded blogger posts, but are either about Todd, and therefore go into his blog, or about work, and therefore go into my (private) work rant blog.
I wonder what it is about the period from 2005-2008 than brought on such a flurry of ideas. Maybe it was inspiration from other people's posts. Maybe it was a combination of random musings, daily goings-on and silly memes and quizzes. Maybe it was partly because my readers kept me just as entertained.
Then there's the time factor... it's no coincidence that 2008 was when things really started ramping up with Todd-- starting school, starting karate, then eventually swim lessons. 2008 was when we found Hope Community Church and our small group. 2008/2009 was when I really started getting more active on Facebook, with its status updates allowing me to more frequently and efficiently broadcast what's on my mind. I also think that once I stopped getting into the habit of writing frequently, I just couldn't get back into it, even when I did have time.
So, as you can see, 2009 was a pretty sparse blogging year. Hopefully that will change :-) We'll see!
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