Yet Another Little Awesome Thing

I realized that I haven't posted very much this month, so I'm trying to step it up.
Since I do a lot with email (with my half-job and hobbies), I occasionally get spam.
It also helps that I have five or more email addresses.

Every once in awhile, for fun, I send replies to some spam messages, usually with things like "Stop Spamming me," but I like to slip in a few "fake bites," or messages that say I'm interested in whatever the Prince of Nigeria is currently selling.

Which leads me to the L.A.T.

I love it when people actually respond to my fake responses.

This has only happened to me twice, with one exchange being way more awesome than the other. The lame one was with a guy who obviously had a lot of spam exchanges going on, so we never really got into a rhythm.

The other one, however, was exactly like something you'd see from 419eater.com. A lady emailed my old Kansan email address (something I haven't used since 2007), and I sent her a response, and the exchange below started. The stuff in blue are my emails.

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Dear One In Love

I am Mrs Kate Parker a nationality of Sierra Leone .I am married to Mr.Buron Parkerwho worked with Sierra Leone Embassy in Ivory Coast for nine years before he died in the year 2005. We were married for eleven years without a child.He died after a brief illness that lasted for only four days.Before his death we were both born again Christian.Since his death I decided not to remarry as we were married for eleven years without a child, When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of $27.5 Million with a Bank in Ivory Coast.Presently this money is still in the custody of the Bank in Ivory Coast.Recently, my Doctor told me that I would not last for the next Eight months due to cancer and hypertensive problem. Having known my condition I decided to donate this fund to a church organization or good person that will utilize this money the way that will give glory to God.
I want a church,organization or good person that will use this money for orphanages widows and other peoples that needs help and also propagating the word of God and to endeavor that the house of God is maintained.

The Bible made us to understand that"Blessed is the hand that giveth".l took this decision after my seven days of praying and fasting because I don't have any child that will inherit this money and my husband relatives are not Christians not even good at all because they are the one that is responsible for the death of my husband in other to have all my late husband prperties and I don't want my husband's efforts to be used by those that conspired for his death. This is why I am taking this decision, I am not afraid of death hence I know where I am going I know that Iam going to be in the bosom of the Lord Exodus 14 VS 14 says that "the lord will fight my case and I shall hold my peace".l know With God all things are possible.As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the Bank in Ivory Coast. I will also issue a letter of authorization to the bank that will prove you the present beneficiary of this money. I also want you, church or the organization to always pray for me because the lord is my only shephard.My happiness is that I lived a life of a worthy Christian. Whoever that Wants to serve the Lord must serve him in Truth and in spirit.Please always be prayerful all through your life.Contact me on this email address and i want you to promise me that you will use the money as I Stated here in. Hoping to receive your respense immedaitely.

Thanks and Remain blessed
in the Lord Jesus.
l remain yours sister in Christ.
Mrs Kate Buron

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I would be very interested. I love to help out fellow humans, so please send me your contact info soon.
-Jerry

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Dear Sommerville Caleb,

Frist i thank you for your interesting which you have in assisting and helping me for this transaction, so how are you doing my dear together with your family with hope you all are fine over there in your home, if so thanks be to God.

Well my dear Caleb, i am going to send to you every information's which you needed also the documents which the bank issued to my late husband the day he deposited the fund in they custody, but before i will be sending to you all those information's i will like you to tell me more about yourself, please do not misunderstand me why because we need to know each other very well before we proceed on how the fund will be transfer into your account i hope you understand, but if they is anything you do not understand please you do let me know so that i will explain them fine to you ok, as i will be waiting for your response.

Thanks and Remain blessed
in the Lord Jesus.
l remain yours sister
in Christ.
Mrs Kate Buron

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Actually, my name is Ronald. The server screwed up my name.
Before going any further, I will need some photographic proof of yourself. Please let me know if this is possible.
-Ronald

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Dear Ronald,

Thanks for your mail which is well noted date 28/05/2009 and time 17:42:55, well i have heared what you said concerning proof yes i am sending you my picture now, so have a look of my picture then you get back to me with your house or office address also your telphone number, so that i will go and submit them in the bank and declare you as my late husband foreign business partner, i hope you understand, as i will be urgently waiting for your response.

Thanks once again

With regards

Mrs.Kate Parker.

[Picture Redacted]

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Once again, my name is Ronald.
I looked up your husband's information through the contacts I have in the Sierra Leone embassy, and they had never heard of the man. Perhaps he went by a different name?
-Ronald.

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Dear Ronald,

Thanks for your mail which is well noted date 30/05/2009 time 21:08:51, well it is good as you look up to the information you have, but i have told you about myself and my husband as i know that is working there, but that is not what i am telking what am saying is how you can assist me geting this fund transfered out of Africa, meanwhile you did not even tell me that you have receive my picture which i send to you, well let's proceed on how to made the transfer of the fund into your account frist ok, and what you have to do is that you should forward me your full information's so that i will go and submit them to the bank and then declare you as my foreign business partner, after that i will send to you the document's regarding the fund which the bank issued to my late husband the day he deposited the fund in they custody, i will also forward the information of the bank so that you contact the bank for the transfer of the fund into your account i hope you understand, as i will be waiting as soonest.

Thanks once again for your understanding while we proceed.

With regard's

Mrs. Kate Parker.

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You don't seem to understand. Your husband doesn't exist. I work for the FBI and he doesn't even have a record here.
You however, do. When would be a good time for you to fly to Washington D.C. and talk about this?
-Ronald

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Dear Sommerville,

Thanks for your mail which is well noted, well i am very happy that you are working with FBI it means that if the fund transfered into your account then it will be safe, again for to fly to Washington D.C. to talk about this issue i will like to come over there, so that i will have a good treatment for my health in the state and it's better for me, but depend on you when ever you want me to fly over there and i will be very gald if you help me to fly to Washington D.C, so give me more detils for my coming, as i will be waiting.

Thanks once again

With regard's

Mrs. Kate Parker.

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You would be flying yourself over, of course. And I mean, by saying I work for the FBI, that you are in a lot of trouble.

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Dear Sommerville,

Thanks for your mail, meanwhile i want you to know that i am not afraid of the FBI , because once i know that what am saying is the truth i will never fear any body do understand, and i have seen that you are not interesting so no need of you teling me about FBI ok.

Thanks

With regard's

Mrs. Kate Parker

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You don't seem to understand. Making up information about someone working for an embassy is a huge crime, and you are going to be arrested soon. Please enclose your GPS (longitude and latitude) coordinates in your next email so that we may find you easier.
And my name is still Ronald.
-Ronald.

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Ah, what fun. Note that her name (and mine) changes several time throughout the exchange, and that she only stops after I make ridiculous threats and claims.

This took about two weeks before it petered out, but boy was it fun. I would come back from class and check my email, hoping and praying for more ridiculousness from Kate Parker/Bueno/Whatever the heck her name was.

Don't believe everything you read on the internet.

Another Little Awesome Thing

We've all done it. Driving down the highway and suddenly, you get stuck behind a slow/swerving/pissed-off driver. Try as you might, you just can't get away from them. You try to pass, but there's too many cars. You try to slow down, they just slow down right with you. You actually pass them, and they pass you in two minutes, apparently not aware that cruise control is now standard on most cars (even though my wife and I looked at a three- or four-year old Hyundai that didn't have it).

Then comes the L.A.T.

They turn off the road, relieving you of their obnoxious presence.

Whether you know it consciously or not, you do a little happy dance in your head. You are free to go about driving in your normal way, even though that may be annoying to someone else and you may start the process all over again for someone else.

It's the Circle of (driving) Life.

Why Twitter is Popular

And of course, I use that term "popular" loosely, as it is only popular in certain circles. Namely, college/high schoolers, journalists all hopped-up on Red Bull and Web 2.o, and celebrities. And not everyone is so hip on it.

And after observing the two major competing entities, Facebook and Twitter, for the past few months, I've arrived at an interesting conclusion.

People like Twitter because they don't like commitments.

Now, this isn't a whiny Sex-And-The-City argument about why men (or women) can't get emotionally close to someone. Not at all.

Although perhaps it is indicative.

You see, the reason people are hyping Twitter over Facebook is that it's a lot less personal. You post a tweet, you read other people's tweets, you retweet here and there. Direct tweets do happen, but only every once in a while, and they are nowhere near the main purpose for the service.

Facebook, on the other hand, truly lives up to its branding as a Social Medium. You talk to people via walls and messages, you start conversations, you read info on people (a.k.a. facebookstalking), you look at photo albums. It's all about interacting with your friends, with other people.

And that, of course, takes a lot more time and commitment. (It's also a time black hole for those trying to procrastinate.) It takes time and initiative to reply to that wall post (sorry, mom), and it takes time to look through someone's pictures. True, 60 percent of the time that's utterly boring and useless, but occasionally you do want to see pictures of your friend's vacation or wedding, and occasionally you do talk to people about important things via the chat or wall posts.

And maybe that's exactly why Twitter is increasing in popularity. People don't have to do as much interaction as they do via Facebook. And for those who are extraordinarily busy, that's fine. Please understand, I'm not railing on people that use Twitter and calling them commitment haters, by any means.

I'm simply observing the different kinds of interactions that take place. I wrote earlier that Twitter was just Facebook Lite (which I still kind of think), but I think a better title would be Facebook Quick N' Dirty.

To quote Seinfeld, "Not that there's anything wrong with that!" It's just different usages for different purposes. It'll be interesting to see where this whole social media experiment leads us.

Little Awesome Things

I was noticing the other day that there are little things in life are sometimes the most awesome.

And since this time of ponderment was right around Halloween, the first such L.A.T. involved candy.

I was eating a small bag of Good N' Plenties (which I happen to like, thank you very much), and after the last one, experienced the usual small mini-sigh you always have when you finish candy. Nevermind the fact that there's a fricking huge bowl of it ten feet away, there's just something sad about that last piece.

But herein lies the Awesomeness.

It is awesome when you find one or two more pieces of candy left in a bag you thought was empty.

Even though you may be scoffing right now, just monitor yourself next time you eat a piece-based candy. You'll be pseudo-depressed that there's no more candy, but if you find that little bit of extra sugary goodness, you'll do a tiny happy dance in your head.

Just be self-aware next time. You'll see what I'm talking about.