Corruption in Iraq now basis of Nigerian Scam Spam

I just got my first e-mail using the corruption in Iraq as the basis of the Nigerian Scam. As everyone knows, in the Nigerian Scam someone as some ill-gotten gain they need to move out of a country and they want to use your bank account to do it. To work, the ill-gotten gain has to be so notorious that they assume any e-mail recipient will have hear of it, so it marks a milestone in the notoriety of U.S. Government corruption in Iraq that these are now circulating (this is not a particularly good one, as it makes grammatical mistakes of a non-native speaker, although the link to a news article is a good touch -- although no real American in Iraq would link to the BBC):

Greetings,
I am a Civil Staff working under United States Marine Corps operating with the Engineering military Dept unit in Baghdad, Iraq, we discover about $65 Million US dollars that we want to move out but we need a good partner we can trust. This fund is oil money and legal. Click on the link bellow for more information
http://exchange.advocacyinc.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2988455.stm
We will be moving these funds out of Iraq through the assistance of UN diplomatic officer. But the question is can we trust you when the funds get to you? You will take your 30% for the assistance and keep the remaining for us in a safe custody. Your role is to find a safe place for the funds while our own part is sending it to you. Wait Your Reply Michael Joseph

Food Network Thoughts 3 -- Rachel Ray eats a Turd

It is hard to believe how unrelentingly cheery Rachel Ray is. No matter what is put in front of her, it is always so so so very wonderful. I imagine her being presented with a steaming turd on a plate. "Oh this is so fresh! You can see the steam still rising from it." And then her trademarked smile as she takes her first bite. "And so economical, this is the best turd in San Antonio, I get one whenever I come here."

On thing I do give her credit for, is she is willing to include having a drink with her meals.

Food Network Thoughts 2 -- Iron Chef

Don't get me wrong, I love the American version of Iron Chef. But I do miss the original Japanese version. You would watch it in wonderment at how weird the Japanese could be. On the American version, they will reveal the secret ingredient --- "onions!" or "Parmesan Cheese!" but with the Japanese it would be "Sea Urchin Snot!". And then everyone would go, "oh sea urchin snot, that's good."

Food Network Thoughts 1

I think like most of America we have been watching the Food Network more and more. I think of it is as "Food Porn". We've been through the same cycle of cable watching as the rest of the country -- first it was "Financial Porn" of watching the stock reports, a phase that ended when it became depressing with the end of the tech bubble. (Was working for Juno and watched the stock go from $87 to 87 cents). Then it was HG TV and "House Porn", with shows like house hunters and flip this house and trading spaces. Now that is pretty depressing.


At least we still have food! It's like in the depression when chocolate sales went up, because no matter how bad things got, people could still get a 5 cent Hersey bar. If that ever goes, people will be reduced to watching "Porn Porn".

Comments

I changed the settings so now anyone can comment. I did not realize that it was set to only allow registered users to comment. So go for it!

A Man came on the Radio

Edith, my seven year old, was sitting in her car seat listening to the radio. Suddenly she says, "What that man is saying, is TRUE. You can't always get what you want."

Watering the Roof

Seeing all the coverage of the fires in S.Cal I remember when we used to have to water the roof in Calabasas. We came close to being evacuated a couple of times, and we once had to put up someone who was evacuated. But this seems worse than anything we used to see 30 years ago (I feel so old writing that).

Growing up there you were just used to it. I have told people S.Cal has seasons -- Green, brown and Fire.

We also have another weather phenomenon -- the First Rain of the Season. It is a truism that people in S.Cal can't drive in the rain. Well, there is a reason for that -- The First Rain of the Season. You see, it doesn't rain for 10 months of the year and during those 10 months whenever some tops off their tank and spills some gas on the ground -- it evaporates. Then comes the first rain and 10 months of petrochemical products comes down with it. Every puddle is an oil slick. I remember being in the car with my brother when he hit the breaks and did a 360 because he hit a puddle on the on ramp.

I was talking to someone in Boston today about the fires and she said that S.Cal scared her. It's funny. Earthquakes and brush fires don't scare me. Earthquakes are land surfing. But snow has almost killed me a couple of times. I still have nightmares about driving in blizzards in SD.

World Series -- 2004 v. 2008

No one seems to be pointing out that this World Series is pitting the 2004 Convention city -- Boston v. the 2008 Convention city -- Denver. Especially as this is the last Series before the Convention.

Swiss accidentally invade Liechtenstein

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070302/ap_on_fe_st/mistaken_invasion

What else can anyone say. It has to be one of the greatest headlines ever. Read the article.

Although it makes the points that the soldiers had no bullets in their guns -- it doesn't mention that everyone of them had a knife. And every one of those knives had not only a can opener and tweezers, but also a plastic tooth pick that could put someone's eye out at close range.

Feminists have more fun

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20071018/sc_livescience/feministshavemorefun

The Kurds: A People Who Never Got Their Way