Email from the @FBI

So just got this email from the FBI.  Take that, Nigerian scammer spammers!

Federal Bureau Of Investigation Fraud Division
200 Mccarty Avenue Albany, NY 12209 New York
Anti-Terrorist and Fraud Crimes Division
FBI Delegated to Visit Nigeria for Investigation

Our Ref: FGB /0N8/AGENCY NO.856.

Dear Beneficiary:


The UNITED NATIONS have instructed us to visit Nigeria as FBI/UNITED NATIONS delegates to investigate fraudsters who are in the business of swindling Foreigners from various countries. Please be informed that during our investigation, we found out that there is a total amount sum of US$20million that has been duly assigned in your name as the beneficiary in the bank but these fraudsters were busy swindling you without any hope of receiving your fund.

These are the works of the fraudsters who needed to extort hard earned money from you in the name of transaction, Be informed that we have arrested some bank officials in respect of this delayed Overdue fund. Therefore, we sincerely implore you to forward all claim detailed information if possible support with documents you may have received in the prior of transaction for verification/evaluation. Upon the fulfilling of this obligations/requirement as stipulated in the deed of assignment with the payment authority to expedite action in carrying out the release of your funds.

We have a very limited time to stay in Nigeria, Your response is needed urgently as soon as you receive this message to expedite the completion of your transaction. The remaining criminals will be caught unaware and we don't want them to know this new development to avoid jeopardizing our investigation, All you need is to conceal anything that has to do with this exercise and cease from any illegal transaction to enable us get all the necessary information required.

I anticipate your swift response with the required information below.

(1) Your full names;
(2) Phone, fax and mobile #;
(3) Home address/ Country
(4) Profession, Age and Marital status.
(5) Identity card/passport

Await your swift response as soon as you receive this email to ensure you receive your fund that has been delayed by the fraudsters.

Best Regard,

Mr. James Brooks

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION VISIT IN NIGERIA

Feed Sift (02/13/2015)

Greetings, readers. Here's five more things I wanted to share. I'm also trying something new: posting each article separately every morning on my Twitter feed: @tvjames.

-1-

ENGADGET -- Harvard provides a glimpse at how the robot plague will overrun us all

-2-

REDUCTRESS -- Vaccinations Made My Cat Autistic

-3-

WEB URBANIST -- Fictional Bridges from Euro Banknotes Now Built in Real Life

-4-

MISSING AIMEE -- On one of life's biggest clichés

-5-

TWISTED SIFTER -- Drone Pilot Films Mexico City’s International Airport from Above

Happy Friday!

Running is not cool

This was a work assignment - write and deliver a *short* speech. It was more about giving and receiving critiques, but here's my effort, with edits made to address the critique I received.

Running is not cool.

First, it’s time that you could spend doing other things, like watching TV.

Second, it’s difficult. It takes effort and you get sweaty and grimy.

Third, someone might see you and you might look funny, with funny clothes or in an awkward moment where you almost trip and have to hip and jump and try to avoid falling on your face. Or you could fall on your face and that would hurt.

Fourth, you could get hit by a car while trying to change songs if your iPod started playing something you didn’t want to hear. 

Fifth and finally, it will cause you to feel more guilty the next time you eat a doughnut.

And that's why running is not cool.

Moo

"We give our animals the greenest pastures and they give you delicious and nutritious milk."

Your ANIMALS? You mean cows? 

Or are these mutant twelve-udder milk producing hybrids that can't be legally called cows?

Feed Sift (04/18/2014)

Here's a few things I've come across recently that I thought was worth sharing...

-1-

LIFEHACKER -- Eight Myths About Jury Duty Debunked

-2-

XKCD -- Before the Internet

-3-

Fire, fire

Sign says: "CAUTION: DO NOT use paper products in this microwave. They burn up!!"

Two thoughts immediately come to mind...

(2) What, like those paper plates stacked on top?

and

(2) Challenge... accepted.

Feed Sift (02/28)

Five things I saw recently and wanted to share.

-1-

Dilbert - he needs to be careful, he's starting to sound Like A Boss.

-2-

Nix Tape: 10 Closed & Abandoned Blockbuster Stores - a beautiful article with glorious photos. (No love lost for my former employer and this outdated technology.)

-3-

Say it loud and say it first - Southwest, Delta and United Airlines in for a win. (Yes, I did say United.) Remember, first-mover advantage still works when it comes to marketing and PR.

-4-

T-Mobile's 'Mobile Money' blends prepaid Visa cards and no-fee checking features - fascinating... a bank for the bank-less.

-5-

Including Teens with Special Needs – The Challenge - I like the thought behind this.

Feed Sift (02/21)

Here's a few things I wanted to share. (A few items are a little less fresh than usual, but still interesting.)

-1-

Seattle City Council updated on Seawall Project - new maps and artists concepts

-2-

Dilbert - why ambition doesn't pay

-3-

Why is Bertha stuck? WSDOT's 5 levels of tunnel-drilling hell - turns out it was scenarios 1, 2 and 3. Ouch.

-4-

Amazon is thinking about shipping you packages you haven't ordered yet - Amazon's patent application details pre-staging items close to you that they think you'll buy so that you can get them quicker. (23 hours already seems pretty quick for a carton of air filters for our furnace. If they're ringing our doorbell minutes after we place an order, maybe they'd like to open up the furnace and just install the filter?)

-5-

Street Smart: Intelligent Motion-Activated Outdoor Lighting - *really cool*.

iPhone Theft-Deterrent Lock Screen

This is what I see now when I turn on my iPhone. On Monday I hope to confuse some of my friends in the IT department who don't read this blog.

Trigger Happy

I never put my car into M so I have no use for the +/- keys but I often drive with one hand on the shifter.

It would be nice if I could re-task those buttons...

Maybe...

...cruise control up/down

...volume up/down

...temperature up/down

...sunroof open/close/vent

...mood lighting color adjustment

or

- minus to change between ordinances and plus to fire

Planes, Trains and Christmas Music

So that's why I start thinking of John Candy every time that iTunes plays that Steven Curtis Chapman album.

Planes, Trains and... Steven Curtis Chapman?

Follow Me

I did follow them.

And all I got was this SUV when they hopped out a the gas station.

Even worse, people are now following me.

Good question, @nbcnews

And why are they showing up now?

Great Sense of Humor, @Atlassian

I love this error screen from Atlassian.  I always wondered what their logo was - a table? A chalice? A torch? A stylized X? A victorious person?

Turns out it is a person and the filename tells me his name is Charlie.  What a fun little treat for when we break the system.

Published!

Woo hoo, I'm in print again! My letter to Rick was published! That can only mean one of two things...

Back Atcha

Grrr....

Note to imposter: Don't leave your laptop sitting on your desk when you go home for the night. (I know this wasn't me - I don't put giant noses on my smilies.)

So true.

Haha.

from Reader's Digest

Not not bad

Feels like a double-negative.

In their defense there was a section above it that said something like "Always this stuff" but it was separated enough that they seemed to read separately.

Blogpalooza

Huh... Steve was right. You can palooza anything. I'll admit, I had my doubts, but here's proof from Fred Meyer.

Patriotism

It seems like China could deal a blow to America and consumerism by simply creating a law banning Chinese companies from producing products that feature American themes.