We have a winner! February 28, 2009

I was greeted this morning by a hilarious email scam that, somehow, made it past my spam block service. It got me thinking: Who takes the time to create these? Do they really think the scam will work, especially with such obvious warning signs? Is the net so cluttered with vast amounts of info that these messages are being generated by some artificial intelligence just for the fun of it? I deeply hope that no one falls prey to this obvious fraud.

Here’s the message in it’s original form:

Greetings!!!
I am Mr Peterson Adams.I have been waiting for you to contact me for your Confirmable Bank Draft of ($800.000.00) United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you. Then I went and deposit the Draft with FedEx Delivery,West Africa,I travelled out of the country for a 3Months Course and I will not come back till end of May. What you have to do now is to contact the FedEx Delivery as soon as possible to know when they will deliver your package to you because of the expiring date.For your information, I have paid for the delivering Charge, Insurance premium and Clearance Certificate Fee of the Cheque showing that it is not a Drug Money or meant to sponsor Terrorist attack in your Country. The only money you will send to the FedEx Delivery to deliver your Draft direct to your postal Address in your country is ($195) Dollars only being Security Keeping Fee of the Delivery Company so far. Again,don’t be deceived by anybody to pay any other money except ($195) Dollars .I would have paid that but they said no because they don’t know when you will contact them and in case of demurrage.You have to contact the FedEx Delivery now for the delivery of your Draft with this
information below;Name: Address: Age: Marital Status: Nationality: Phone Number:
Contact Person: Mr.Mark Harrison.
Email: fedexdispatch001@hotmail.com
Telephone: (+234)52885282
Do not forget to contact me when you have receive your package. Have a great day!!!
Regards. Mrs. Williams

NOTE YOU TO CONTACT THIS EMAIL FOR SECURITY PURPOSE
(fedexdispatch001@hotmail.com)

-end original message-

It came to me via email address: karlolof.olsson@telia.com. And, yet, the sender says to reply to: fedexdispatch001@hotmail.com. I visited the telia.com site, and it’s an overseas multi-media company. A word to the folks at Telia: Either delete this email account, or hire the account holder for your marketing department, because I would have never heard of Telia without the help of Karl Olof Olsson Peterson Adams Mark Harrison Mrs. Williams!

I love it! It’s almost so terribly obvious, that it may have been constructed, or could even be appreciated, as a modern art piece; an early 21st century “tonic cure-all” triumph. “…contact the FedEx Delivery.” Brilliant! It doesn’t read, “…contact FedEx for a pickup,” as it should, but, “…contact the FedEx Delivery.” Even though FX has a hundred different sub companies (FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight, etc), there’s no such company as, nor do they refer to themselves as the FedEx Delivery. I’m almost tempted to get a calling card, go to a payphone (if I can find one), and call the number they left just to see where it leads. Alas, Music History homework is calling, and I’ve dawdled long enough.

In the words of my delirious colleague Karl Olof Olsson Peterson Adams Mark Harrison Mrs. Williams, “Have a great day!!”

-Russ

Pictures from a kid January 17, 2009

I like taking pictures, but I have to motivate myself to grab my camera before an outing or trip. Lately, I’ve had to motivate myself to do a lot of things that were previously effortless. I think the kid in me is giving up ever so slightly, but he’s not done yet. I still find myself gazing at red-colored sunrise skies dreaming of the eternal, or awe-struck by the sight of a butterfly (it’s brilliantly painted wings flashing in the mid-day sun), or moved by a passage of music that seems bent on revealing a mystery, but only points to new ones.

Now that I have that out of my system I can say that Amy and I are well, and we had marvelous adventures in Lakeport over Christmas, going to bed at 10:00 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, and a whirlwind trip to Florida to see family that felt strangely long but fast at the same time. I’ll let the pictures below tell the rest. Blessings, love, and cheers to you all!

You would smile too if a duck offered to take a picture of your family.

I am Sterling, I will look at you.

Just the three of us.

Oh, Mom, it's never too late for coffee and cigars!

Ode to “Johnny” September 25, 2008

This post is dedicated to our good friend Leah in Santa Barbara. Anyone who is a fan of the movie “Airplane”, (and I mean a TRUE fan) will immediately get this:

And if you just can’t get enough, here’s Russ doing his own impression…