Saturday, December 31, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
getting ready
Here's one of those hmmmm things I read now and again:
"...we don’t have any time to waste. We’ll all be dead before we ever feel ready."
Found in a very good article on this blog:
http://approachingaro.org/brad-warner
"...we don’t have any time to waste. We’ll all be dead before we ever feel ready."
Found in a very good article on this blog:
http://approachingaro.org/brad-warner
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Rules of a gunfight
I'm sure I copied this from somewhere else, but I no longer remember where.
Ten rules of a gunfight (with obvious applications to the rest of life too)
1. Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a rifle and a friend with a rifle.
2. Have a plan. Have a back-up plan because the first one won't work.
3. The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.
4. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
5. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.
6. If you are not shooting, you should be reloading, and running. If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough or using cover correctly.
7. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
8. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived. Always cheat, always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
9. Threat scan 360 degrees; don't forget to look behind you. Watch their hands. Hands kill. (In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them.)
10. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one. Be polite; be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
Ten rules of a gunfight (with obvious applications to the rest of life too)
1. Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a rifle and a friend with a rifle.
2. Have a plan. Have a back-up plan because the first one won't work.
3. The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.
4. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
5. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.
6. If you are not shooting, you should be reloading, and running. If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough or using cover correctly.
7. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
8. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived. Always cheat, always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
9. Threat scan 360 degrees; don't forget to look behind you. Watch their hands. Hands kill. (In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them.)
10. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one. Be polite; be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Scamming the scammers
Does anybody ever really fall for this junk? Here's one of those ubiquitous African phishing emails I got:
-------------
From: "sandradiom@yahoo.com" (sandradiom@hotmail.fr)
To: undisclosed-recipients
My name is Sandra.
I am 21years old girl
From Guinea,
Dear Permit me to introduce my self to you,i am Ms Sandra Roland the only dougther
of Mr and Mrs Makoni Roland ,the body guard to former president of Guinea
Bissau, (Joa Vieira).My father was killed by the Guinea Bissau soldiers with
the President at the Presidential house.Before my father's sudden death he
called me secretly and told me that if anything happens to him, that he deposited a trunk box that contents.USD$4.5M(Four million,five hundred thausand USD) in one of the Security company in the capital city of Togo Lome,Global Security Company.
My father told me that incase if anything happens to him that i should look
for a good person out side the country who can help me for the shipment of this fund
to his or her country so that i can invest and start my new life over there.
Please dear,i am seeking for your honourable help to assist me stand as my
guardian since my parents are no more.And i want your honest and sincerity in this offer.
after the shipment of my money then we will make the arrangement of my coming to your country because this place is not safe for me and the new government have seized all my father's properties here in my country.
But they are not aware of this deposit that my father made outside the country in Togo which i am the beneficiary/ next of kin.
i am looking forward to hear from you soon so that i can give you the security company contact for you to contact them on my behalf for the shipment of the trunk box to you in your country for us to make arrangement of my coming without wasting time.
Thanks,
Sandra Roland
-----------
Never mind the misspellings and so forth. English ain't this guy's first language. Notice that I'm assuming it's not really a "21 years old girl." There's also the small fact that this person is trying to spoof their address and failing miserably. But I thought I'd see what fun I could have with this person, so I wrote them back as follows:
================
Dear Sand,
Please send details and a picture. I must to know you are who you represent you to be. A picture, please, is worth 1,000 of words. I sorry for you father, but I have my own financial trouble and don't know can I help you or not as I have no experience in money transfers of this type. Please send a picture of you so I know you are not joking.
==================
And lo and behold, here's what I got back:
++++++++++++++++
From: "diom sandra" (sandradiom@hotmail.fr)
To: /DELETED/
Dear friend,
Thank you very much for your response to my email my masege is for your assistance in recieving my money for investment establishment in your country for long time mutual relationship in lucrative areas.I wish to futher explain to you on the way we have to go about this transaction, I want to shiped the fund into your country after which I shall travel out of this country immediately to meet with you in your base so that I can continue my education while you help me invest the money in lucrative businesses of your choice. after my praying and fasting GOD revealed you to me dear i want you to be good and honest to me for this transaction.
Like I informed you in my first mail,the money was my fathers money which he made when he was a body guard to my country,s president Joa Vieira, who was assasinated with my father in his house in Guinea Bissau, my father deposited this money to the negbouring country which is togo to avoid the next government seizing this money so he deposited it as family valuable item at the (Global security company) in Lome capital city of togo. Dear this money was deposited with trunk box to the security company which the security company doesn't know the contents of the box.
Now only what I need from you is to be good and honest partner who will assist me to receive this fund over there for establishment while I continue my education. To enable us proceed in this transaction without further delay, you need to confirm to me the following information:
1.If you will remain sincere and honest to me throughout and after this transaction.
2.I will give you 15% i hope it is acceptable by you so as to avoid any argurment when the fund arrived to your country.
3. Your full name and address.
4.Your private telephone number for urgent and easy communication.
5.Attarch a copy of your photo.
Try to confirm to me the above information as soon as possible so that I will foward to you the full contact information of the security company to enable you contact the security company for them to tell you how they will deliver the box to your country without much protocol. May God Bless you for your understanding.I have attach my photo and the trunk box which my father used to packaged the money.
Am Eagerly Waiting for your urgent response.
Thanks and GOD bless.
Best regards,
Sandra.
+++++++++++++++++
Notice that the person no longer is trying to spoof their address. Maybe they forgot? They're phishing for more details now, but they haven't asked for a bank account number yet, only full name, address and phone number and a photo. And guess what? To prove their good faith, they sent not only a photo of this alleged "21 years old" girl, but a photo of the "trunk box" as well. Here they are:
-------------
From: "sandradiom@yahoo.com" (sandradiom@hotmail.fr)
To: undisclosed-recipients
My name is Sandra.
I am 21years old girl
From Guinea,
Dear Permit me to introduce my self to you,i am Ms Sandra Roland the only dougther
of Mr and Mrs Makoni Roland ,the body guard to former president of Guinea
Bissau, (Joa Vieira).My father was killed by the Guinea Bissau soldiers with
the President at the Presidential house.Before my father's sudden death he
called me secretly and told me that if anything happens to him, that he deposited a trunk box that contents.USD$4.5M(Four million,five hundred thausand USD) in one of the Security company in the capital city of Togo Lome,Global Security Company.
My father told me that incase if anything happens to him that i should look
for a good person out side the country who can help me for the shipment of this fund
to his or her country so that i can invest and start my new life over there.
Please dear,i am seeking for your honourable help to assist me stand as my
guardian since my parents are no more.And i want your honest and sincerity in this offer.
after the shipment of my money then we will make the arrangement of my coming to your country because this place is not safe for me and the new government have seized all my father's properties here in my country.
But they are not aware of this deposit that my father made outside the country in Togo which i am the beneficiary/ next of kin.
i am looking forward to hear from you soon so that i can give you the security company contact for you to contact them on my behalf for the shipment of the trunk box to you in your country for us to make arrangement of my coming without wasting time.
Thanks,
Sandra Roland
-----------
Never mind the misspellings and so forth. English ain't this guy's first language. Notice that I'm assuming it's not really a "21 years old girl." There's also the small fact that this person is trying to spoof their address and failing miserably. But I thought I'd see what fun I could have with this person, so I wrote them back as follows:
================
Dear Sand,
Please send details and a picture. I must to know you are who you represent you to be. A picture, please, is worth 1,000 of words. I sorry for you father, but I have my own financial trouble and don't know can I help you or not as I have no experience in money transfers of this type. Please send a picture of you so I know you are not joking.
==================
And lo and behold, here's what I got back:
++++++++++++++++
From: "diom sandra" (sandradiom@hotmail.fr)
To: /DELETED/
Dear friend,
Thank you very much for your response to my email my masege is for your assistance in recieving my money for investment establishment in your country for long time mutual relationship in lucrative areas.I wish to futher explain to you on the way we have to go about this transaction, I want to shiped the fund into your country after which I shall travel out of this country immediately to meet with you in your base so that I can continue my education while you help me invest the money in lucrative businesses of your choice. after my praying and fasting GOD revealed you to me dear i want you to be good and honest to me for this transaction.
Like I informed you in my first mail,the money was my fathers money which he made when he was a body guard to my country,s president Joa Vieira, who was assasinated with my father in his house in Guinea Bissau, my father deposited this money to the negbouring country which is togo to avoid the next government seizing this money so he deposited it as family valuable item at the (Global security company) in Lome capital city of togo. Dear this money was deposited with trunk box to the security company which the security company doesn't know the contents of the box.
Now only what I need from you is to be good and honest partner who will assist me to receive this fund over there for establishment while I continue my education. To enable us proceed in this transaction without further delay, you need to confirm to me the following information:
1.If you will remain sincere and honest to me throughout and after this transaction.
2.I will give you 15% i hope it is acceptable by you so as to avoid any argurment when the fund arrived to your country.
3. Your full name and address.
4.Your private telephone number for urgent and easy communication.
5.Attarch a copy of your photo.
Try to confirm to me the above information as soon as possible so that I will foward to you the full contact information of the security company to enable you contact the security company for them to tell you how they will deliver the box to your country without much protocol. May God Bless you for your understanding.I have attach my photo and the trunk box which my father used to packaged the money.
Am Eagerly Waiting for your urgent response.
Thanks and GOD bless.
Best regards,
Sandra.
+++++++++++++++++
Notice that the person no longer is trying to spoof their address. Maybe they forgot? They're phishing for more details now, but they haven't asked for a bank account number yet, only full name, address and phone number and a photo. And guess what? To prove their good faith, they sent not only a photo of this alleged "21 years old" girl, but a photo of the "trunk box" as well. Here they are:
I thought about stringing this idiot along for a while; there's a whole website where they do this sort of thing regularly at scambaiters: http://www.419eater.com/index.php. I didn't reply for a day or so, then got this one:
--------------
"diom sandra"
To: /DELETED/
Hello Dear,
How are you doing with your health,hope all is well with you over there?i wonder why you have not reply me since your last mail please writes me back let me know what to do ok.
Am looking foward to your urgent response.
Ms Sandra.
--------------
What the hell? Why not screw with the guy a bit more, see what's up? So I wrote back:
--------------
From: /DELETED/
To: "diom sandra"
Hello Dear,
I reply to you once already but did you not get this reply? If you do not get this one, please let me know immediately.
Thank you for asking about my health. It is fine. Snow here in NYC has made travel very difficult however so I have been prevented to go to the public terminal to check emails. However I am here now.
By great good fortune, I have receve another offer which is much more generous than yours, this from a Barrister Etunne who offers much more than 10 percent for my help. I will copy in the email below so that you can tell I am truthful. He offers me 40 percent, not 10 percent. Since this is much more, I must kindly turn down your offer on this date. Thank you and I wish you the best of luck with your truck box.
Sidney
PS: Here is the letter
FROM Barrister. Ihejirika Etunne
Dear Sir
I am Barrister Ihejirika Etunne a solicitor at law. I am the personal attorney to Mr pitt a national of your country, who used to work with shell development company in Nigeria and as well a one time secret agent in transfering of money overseas for the Late head of state of Nigeria {Late Gen.SANI ABACHA}.Before his death On the 21st of April 1999 my client,his wife And their three children were involved in a car accident along sagbama express road in which all occupants of the motor died}.
My client{ Pitt } deposited as family belongings in a CONSIGNMENT {ie jewelries} the sum of $10m in a Global Security and finance company here in Nigeria for himself, with the hope of transferring it to his country as soon as he is on leave.
Since his death I have made several enquiries to your embassy to locate any of my clients extended relatives this has also proved unsuccessful.
After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his last name over the Internet, to locate any member of his family hence I contacted you.
I have contacted you to assist in repartrating the money and property left behind by my client before they get confisicated or declared unserviceable by the Security Company where this huge deposits were lodged.
Particularly, the Global Security company where the deceased had an account valued at about 10million dollars has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confisicated within the next ten official working days.
Since then I have been unsuccesfull in locating the the relatives for over 2years now I therefore seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since you have the same last name so that the proceeds of this account valued at 10million dollars can be paid to you and then you and me can share the money. 40% to me and 60% to you I have all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may make.
All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from anybreach of the law.
Please get in touch with me through my confidential
email;ihej4444@yahoo.co.uk
Best regards,
Mr Ihejirika Etunne
------------
I figured this would tip him off that I know it's a scam since I've quoted back to him another real scam email I got (all these emails I'm quoting from are real). I've upped the ante a bit to sound greedy and stupid, but nobody will believe this one, right? Then I get a stunningly hilarious reply:
------------
"diom sandra"
To: /deleted/
Good Morning Dear Sidney,
No No My God please and please am begging you to stop what ever your writing or communicating with those people,am here crying and shouting louder that you should stop communicating with those people now.please those people your communicating with especially that man that called himself Barrister Ihejirika Etunne,he's among the people they hired and killed my father and the president in the presidential house here in my country Guinea Biseau and these are the people that makes me to be on the hideout today.
So for your information don't or recieved any email,letter or whatever from them again.they are trying to get all your informations through you so that they can get me by all means.i think i suspected this from cyber cafe were i went to write to you i think thats were they get your email to write you.Dear Sidney because of this,i bought laptop this morning and is here with me in this hotel were i hide myself.if that should be the case the percentage i offer to you is not going to be the problem.because i thought that all the investment will be in your name.in this case,to avoid any argument when my money arrived in your country.
I Sandra willing to offer you 45% percent in this my fund,please Dear Sidney,if this percentage is acceptable by you please confirm to me this information now to enable me forward to you the information of the security company were my late father deposited the trunk box and he placed my name(CLAUSE)as next of kin.And to inform you Sidney the security company is not aware that the trunk box contains such money and my late father told me before he died that he deposited the box as family valuables item like jeweries.to make me be sure of you send me this three items am requesting now.
1)Your private telephone number.
2)Your indentification,like passport or ID card.
3)Your full adress.
I think this will be vital for me to be sure of you,Thanks and God bless for your understanding.
Yours Sincere,
Sandra.
-------------
How funny is that? In effect the scammer is telling me, "Don't believe that scammer; believe me. And oh, how about 45 percent?" So I found ANOTHER scam email and wrote the following to which I've received no reply:
----------
From: /DELETED/
To: "diom sandra"
Dear Sandra,
Thank you for warn me about this man. He seems to be sincere and is a Barrister, but if he is a dangerous man, then I will decide against him. I have deleted his email so he can no longer contact me.
Instead, I receive today another email from a kind a generous man who is dying and wishes to amend for his bad life. Him I think deserves my help. I am copying below his email to me in which he expresses his wishes that I help him and that he will reward me.
My mind is made up and I will contact Mr. sulaiman yissa. As you can see, he is a good man trying to atone for his life and his offer is best.
Thank you,
Sidney
Here is what he write:
From:"sulaiman yissa"
To:yuricoramirez@yahoo.com
Dear Friend,
Greetings to you and Please permit me to introduce myself.I am Mr. sulaiman yissa,Saudi National, Working in shell B P IN Saudi Arabia and a crude oil Merchant Before I was diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer, which has defied all medical solutions, and according to medical experts I only have a few more months to live. As you read this you do not have to feel sorry for me as it is a universal truth that we all must die someday, the only problem with me, though being that I have particularly not lived my life well in spite of my wealth and possessions as I never really cared for anyone (not even myself) but my business. Though I was very rich I was never generous, i was never caring about people but only dedicated my time and resources on my business, as that was the only thing I cared about.
But now I regret all this as I now know that there is more to life than just accumulating all the wealth in the world as I lay helplessly on my sick bed. If I was given a second chance to live again I make sure i would live my life a different way from how I have lived it owing to what has befallen me now. As my last days alive are drawing closer and closer I have already willed out most of my properties and assets to my immediate and extended family members as well as a few close friends. I also want my soul to be at peace with God and for him to be merciful on me and accept my soul and to this regard I have resolved to give my remaining funds to charity organizations as I want this to stand as one of the last deeds I indulge in on earth before i die. Though I have already distributed money to some charity organizations, Now that my health has deteriorated so badly I can no longer continue with this myself and also I do not trust my immediate family members or close friends on this as I have once asked them to close one of my accounts and distribute the funds there in to charity organizations in Bulgaria,Sri-Lanka India and Pakistan they greedily kept the money to themselves. Hence I am contacting you with this as I have lost confidence in them because it is obvious they are not contended with what I have left for them.
The last of my funds which no one knows of is a cash deposit of Seventy Five Million Thousand Dollars ($75.000 000 00) stashed in Boxs and declared as Personal effects of high security value which I have with a finance Company Here in Ghana. All I am asking of you is to assist me in making the collection of this deposit and dispatching the funds to any charity home of your choice in your country after keeping 50% of the funds for yourself and your family.10% of these funds should be to cover any expenses that might be incurred in the process of making this claims. Please contact me as soon as you get this email, if you are capable and sincere to handle this transaction on my behalf so I can forward you with all relevant documents necessary.for the claim and the name of the security firm where the funds are deposited.God bless you as I await words from you. Please inform me as soon as possible if you are not interested so I can proceed to seek for someone else to carry out this on my behalf.my mail goes with:(s_manyissa@live.com)
Thanks Yours Sincerely
Mr. sulaiman yissa.
-------------
And so far, no reply to date. This has been fun. Hopefully, I wasted this criminal's time and kept him from bothering somebody else for a day or so.
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