Weekend Open Thread
I’m still going to be around and posting, but I shut down comments on all of the posts over ten days old in an effort to get control of the spam. So far this month, we’ve dealt with 391,000 319,000 spam comments, so I’m hoping if I narrow down the targets, we’ll get less. It ought to result in fewer of your comments going to spam, too. So I’m just trying something.
Category: Administrative
@51 – Mr. Mallernee – It is a scam: http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-202-621-5429
I’ve been having problems posting from my home computers. I wanted to see if I could post after Jonn’s fix. If not, it’s Wickre’s fault.
After traversing three states, two interstates, and uncounted toll booths to find a riding scooter for the boy, the only thing that comes to my mind is, whatever happened to the times we turned metal tubing, lawnmower engines, and some cabling into go-karts for a hell of a lot less money?
Oh, and starting the new job on Monday–first day weather forecast is for the stuff that has been hitting the heartland for the last few days. Oh, lucky me.
But in the meantime, I’ll bask in the balmy 25 degree temperatures.
John Mallernee, that’s a telemarketing number, nothing else. I’ve been getting them, too, but they stopped calling when I told them I was right in the middle of having sex when they called. My phone has been quiet for a couple of days now.
The messages and e-mails are spam and junk. Mark the e-mails as junk and your e-mail should automaticall send them to the junk file. Then you delete them. The comments are spam. Label them spam and the spam filter should dump them for you.
Testing…testing….
Dingus McFucknut and the Spandex Boys – great name for a novelty act. They could be the warm-up act for the donkey show in some border town.
I got 27 and more sheet to fall Tonight.
From what I understand in the world of computer geeks where I still frequent, area codes don’t mean a thing anymore. Since Voice over IP has become so prevalent, anyone can fake any thing. The old blocked number web site that worked well for a year or two is powerless to fight this onslaught. One sharp pain for one person can be punished with capital punishment applied to the perpetrator. I suggest that dull pain to thousands also result in capital punishment to the perp. I keep waiting to see kinetic responses to hackers and spammers. I also keep waiting to see an abdication from the WH, so I guess I’m just a dreamer.
May I just say, War Damn Eagle?
Re: telemarketing/scam phone calls: I find it both amusing and uplifting to insult them as much as possible by questioning their ancestry, as in: Frank, huh? That sure is an American-sounding name for someone with an accent as thick as yours. How’s the weather over there in Calcutta? Or wait — is it Pakistan, Frank? Tell me, are you Indian or another stupid little pakigit?
And then add the part about sex and whatever else I can think of, and on top of that, since they’re calling about medical alert stuff for seniors, tell them I don’t need one because I’m not dead yet.
Then hang up.
There’s also the anger management thing. Once I’ve hung up, call that telemarketing number, wait for someone to answer, and then say, ‘you’re an asshole’ and hang up.
EX-PH2, Et Alii:
If it’s a telemarketer, what are they selling when they immediately hang up, without saying a word?
If I speak at all, it’s only to say, “Hello?”, and then – – – CLICK!
Both YAHOO! and BLOGGER.COM are very good about screening out all of the spam, so very little actually gets through, and because of the ever present threat of viruses, et cetera, I always delete them without ever opening them, as they’re very easy to recognize.
No, I realize that it all is probably just some totally innocuous anomaly, and nothing to be concerned about.
But, after all, I’m just a lonely old man living in an old folks’ home, and I’m secretly wishing my life was still deemed of sufficient importance that someone would want to murder me!
It’s my basic Hollywood nature.
I’ve turned off the requirement that you have to have a previously approved comment and use your email address to comment. If you’re interested, the measures I took yesterday in our war against spam seems to have had some effect. Only one of you got caught in the spam filter last night and instead of waking up to thousands of spam messages, there were only about a hundred this morning.
Murder you!?!? Well, make up a song about it, how you’re being stalked by an unknown telemarketer on your cell phone. Or call your phone company, tell them you think your number has been stolen by telemarketers, and you want a new one. That should stop it.
If that number keeps coming up, just don’t answer it. There are 4 that come in on my phone, and they’re all selling the same senior medical alert crap, which is something you can get locally. It’s crap.
If you could actually get someone to answer, you could have fun by dragging it out with a long, meandering discussion about something ridiculous. My little tactic worked, because I haven’t had any of these obnoxious calls in several days, but it will start again, I’m sure.
@63 – Cool!
Some telephone providers will block numbers that pester you. Just call their customer service folks and ask them.
When I lived in Idaho, I had a blind woman who was stalking me.
I was a volunteer reader to the blind at a college radio station, and I was really GOOD at what I was doing.
This gal called the radio station so often, they had to threaten her with a court order to get her to stop.
Actually, one of my favorite jokes is to call or e-mail a gal and say, “Why are you stalking me?”
I follow that up with, “Well, why aren’t you stalking me?”
Yuk! Yuk!
Hardee Har Har!
I have to stop writing run-on sentences.
The only person I know of who was good at it was Ernest Hemingway, who frequently took up as many as two full pages with one sentence. But he’s not my idol.
@37 – Master Chief, how do you decorate them when they’re frosty? And doesn’t Mamma object to having them frosty? Seems like that would interfere with their primary function in life.
(Am I the only one who caught that? lol)
After acquiring a new number, I regularly received calls from a company that said it would help me find an institute of higher education that would help me achieve my educational goals. The first couple of times I told them I already had my degree and didn’t need their help, and to take me off their phone list. The calls kept coming, and I finally wised up. The last time they threw their pitch at me, I started asking questions. It went something like this: “How did you get my name?” “It was in an educational database.” “Which database?” “It was an educational database.” “Which one? The Federal Communications Commission says I have a right to know what your source is for getting my name. Ever hear of the FCC?” “No I do not know what it is.” “Well, FCC rules say that if you get my name from somewhere I have a right to know, because I have to be able to check my information for accuracy. What database was it? Nexus Lexus? Government? Federal? State? Local? Was it a university?” (starting to sound helpless on the other end) “It was an educational database.” (I start to pretend getting pissed) “You know that you are violating FCC rules by not telling me, and that you can be fined for violating them? Stop reading your script and tell me! What is your name, and what is the name of your company, and what database are you using?” “Hold on, let me get my supervisor.” (supposed supervisor comes on the line) “Hello, who is this?” “Why are you asking ME? You people called ME! My name is in a database you are using, and I have a right to know what it is.” CLICK Never heard from them again. Like PH2 said, try to waste their time if you have the time to screw with them. Their phone operators have to generate a certain amount of activity on their shift, and they get in trouble if they don’t. Make them think you’re a troublemaker and wasting their time, and they’ll put… Read more »
Marine-7002, anything to yank their chains works, in my books.
On another note, Prince Harry (yeah, the ginger prince who played strip poker with strangers) is on a trek with a team of disabled vets from the UK, and two other teams, to get to the South Pole by Dec. 16. It was supposed to be a race, but after the first 5 days, the temps dropped to -30F and it is now simply a trek. Harry has not bowed out. He is not a wimp.
http://www.today.com/news/prince-harrys-antarctic-race-cancelled-trek-will-go-2D11708516
Well, whoever it is that calls me isn’t selling anything, because they never talk.
Instead, they immediately hang up without saying one word.
I forgot to mention that frosty balls are usually those that are decorated with glitter and sparkle designs, whereas the red, green, blue, gold, and silver balls are simply spray painted colors on the inside and not decorated at all.
Is that sentence too long and meandering?
@72, John,
Its an ongoing scam using a DC area number. When they do talk they try to pose as a VA Health Care Survey, IRS or other Govt entity. They are rip- off artists,
I got this info from a google search of that number.
“I received multiple calls from this number. person was showing himself as some official from US Government. and was asking personal information over call. Since I have heard about these calls earlier thru other channels so I immediately asked few question with a strong voice and then that guy started hesitating and cut the call. Request you all, DO NOT address any such call and DO NOT share your personal details. US Govt staff always send formal notice and never approach individuals over phone. Along with that I also have seen examples where some fraud agencies calling individuals and asking for money showing themselves as USCIS/Border & Security staff. Kindly note that most of the time visa extension/related requests are made through your organization and applicant’s contact number never shared with USCIS and if they have anything further to ask, they always route the same communication track through which the request was sent to USCIS department. So ALL, please keep a note of this and stay away from such fake callers. Thank you.”
@74, JUST AN OLD DOG:
Thanks.
PH: As to your inquiry about the meandering nature of your run on sentence in #73 above, probably not unless you consider the possible, or probable, net effect of said glitter on the frosty worthy contents of lesser or greater balls of a relative variety and scope which has, as yet, not been determined. Or it’s length.
Frosty balls? Sounds . . . painful. I’d suggest a pair of long johns. (smile)
I turned the thing back on that requires you to use an email address and name to comment – and a previously approved comment. Dingus hasn’t been on the blog today, but his obsessive little troll buddy has and I’m just tired of their pointless drivel and threats.
#76 OWB, ROFLMAO!
Which Dingus are you talking about, Jonn? Aren’t we saved from Fingus McDucknuts if he doesn’t leave an e-mail addy?
I get the robocall of “The FBI has reported home breaking…..” I would expect it at home, but not at my job in a SCIF on Quantico. The next time they call, I’ll give the address of the FBI academy. After all, it’s free, they’ll just have to allow the company to place one of their signs out front.
Ok. Frosty Balls …
1. Rebuild your deck during the summer.
2. Replace crappy door with niffy Anderson slider.
3. Leave electrical work for winter months … Nothing says hand/eye and finger coordination like doing wiring in January.
4. While everyone is sleeping, sneak outside for smoke and to de-water thyself off new deck knowing the auto light feature of uninstalled fancy lamps won’t reveal my activities.
5. Anderson slider auto locking feature – CHECK!
6. Standing outside in wool slippers, boxer shorts, BDU woodland field jacket (no tee-shirt) and NY Yankees ball cap!
That is how you get FROSTY BALLS!
My son let me in after the continous banging on the door for 20 minutes.
“Dad, this is why Mom calls you the Master of Bad Ideas”!
After the kids pestered me enough I made snow ice cream today.
To All 22 Cal Contributors:
Done. Rugar 22. Brand new 309 dollars not including 1000 rounds, kickin’ scope, and wooden mini-range (to be built).
Son is excited … I am more!
Squirell Stew Baby!
One other thing … DO NOT TELL MY WIFE!
In the past two years … According to her calculations.
“We have spent more on guns and ammo than healthcare”.
And my reply was simple, “wait until next year, hence all the guns and ammo now”.
(Sarc Not So Much))
For anyone who needs a hug, there is a whole new industry that you have to pay for: snuggling.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/08/21819741-i-dont-know-any-man-who-wants-to-just-snuggle-wisconsin-officials-target-cuddle-industry?lite&ocid=msnhp&pos=4
Speakin’ of phone numbers, has anyone had a call lately from this one? (202) 210-0054? I got a call from that one last wek, and a Woman with a heavy Asian accent was telling me that I was due for a $9000 grant from the US Government, and that I would be getting it wired to my checking account within the next 30 minutes if I would give her my routing and account number RIGHT THEN (*DAMN!* maybe I should have given her my Ex-Monster’s [*OOPS!*, ex-wife’s] numbers). That, of course set EVERY BULLSHIT ALERT whistle, siren, bell, and strobe light in my mind off at full throttle, and as soon as I hung up, I called my local Sheriff’s Office and made a report of it. As for “tele-pests”, if they’re unlucky enough to call me after a few beers, I’ll let them start their pest (*OOPS*, sales) pitch, then I’ll set the phone down, picking it up just often enough to say “Yeah, that sounds good!”, and let then go all the way through their “pest speech”, then I’ll say, “Yeah, that sounds good, but I just got laid off at work, can I borrow $50?”, then *CLICK!*, and I never hear from that “tele-pest” outfit again!! I think it’s fun, and it gets you OFF of their calling lists!
Enjoy the rifle, Master Chief. I need to get the boy into it within the next couple of years.
If I can get myself up for it, I may start talking to them in Latin or Russian or maybe Serbian, make fun of their ancestry and burp a lot.
A caution to all who are tempted to actually talk with these clowns – there are things you can say and things you cannot say, depending, which can actually be taken as consent. For what can vary a great deal.
Best deal is to just not answer. I lost interest some years ago in keeping up with the current regs on how to handle these clowns and now just do not answer any number I do not recognize. If it is something important, a message will be left.
Some of those annoying machines dial dozens of numbers at the same time. Whoever answers first talks with the solicitor.
@ Proud. No … But in 1995 I got a fax from a Nigerian Prince, thought twice about it and finally referred to the Secret Service (because of some other content).
I often ponder now what would have happened … If I sent that 5000 dollars. Beach on a beautiful island or “living in a van down by the river”!
Hah! Just ran into a story about those of us who can ignore a ringing telephone seem to be more contented than those who do not.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2520475/Happiness-resisting-answering-mobile-People-ignore-texts-calls-likely-contented.html
@ OWB. Check out the meltdown in the post about the New Army Recruit.
Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space:
Earlier this evening, while snacking on Christmas goodies from The Swiss Colony, I watched the Walt Disney movie, “THE CHRISTMAS STAR”.
What a PERFECT family Christmas movie!
Even your pets will enjoy either watching the show, or watching YOU watch the show!
The 1986 production of, “THE CHRISTMAS STAR”, stars Ed Asner as an escaped convict, Fred Gwynne as the cop in a relentless pursuit, and Rene Auberjonois as the mean landlord.
I enthusiastically give this movie my highest recommendation, and urge you to do as I did, order your own copy of, “THE CHRISTMAS STAR”, on DVD from either the WALT DISNEY or the AMAZON web sites.
So, gather ’round your young’uns, pop some corn, send out for some pizza, grill some hot dogs, pour some frosty mugs of ice cold root beer, snuggle up on the big comfy couch, dim the lights, and – – – ,
“ROLL ‘EM ! ! !”
Pass the popcorn, please.
Thank you.
John Robert Mallernee
Armed Forces Retirement Home
1800 Beach Drive, Unit 311
Gulfport, Mississippi 39507
Regrettably, living here in southern Mississippi, right on the Gulf of Mexico beach, I probably will never see another white Christmas, or ever again get to go caroling in the snow.
BUT, what we DO have right now, this very minute, outside of my windows, is pitch black night with London pea soup Jack the Ripper fog!
So, here in the darkness of my quarters, the colored lights flash on my fiber optic Christmas tree, and there’s Christmas music playing on radio station WMJY-FM 93.7 in Biloxi, as I enjoy relaxing with Christmas snacks in front of the flickering fireplace on my wide screen LED television.
That’s ALMOST as good as a white Christmas, huh?
Boy, oh boy, ain’t that plumb neat?
I sure wish y’all could see it.
Here’s the URL for my homemade amateur video recordings of me performing some of my favorite Christmas carols, including an original one that I composed.
Back from taking Jack the Ford Escaper on his daily runaround, after desnowing windows, doors, and windshield.
I observed the following:
– You should NEVER leave the snowscraper in the car before a snowstorm if your car is parked outside.
– 3 big flights of Canada geese in good formation flew overhead on their way south. The two front geese on each side behind the leader constantly exchanged positions with the leader to allow the experienced leader to rest by drafting geese in front of her, and to gain a memory stamp of the route to follow south.
– Geese flying in formation flap their wings in alternate rhythm to the goose in front of them. If the one in front is lifting, the one behind is pushing down. I have pictures of this.
– The fat, shiny black Canadian squirrel, who looks quite chubby, listens for the bird calls after I put out birdfood and comes and helps herself. She also steals tomatoes off my neighbor’s vines and eats them, hanging upside down by her hind feet. I have a photo of that, too. I know what tree she lives in.
– Mikey thinks going outside is fun until he hits the snowline. Then he wants back indoors.
– A new front of stratocirrus clouds today means we’ll have more snow by Thursday, latest.
All of my adult life, I’ve always wanted to be able to play Santa Claus.
Here is the URL of a photograph of me, which I took late at night on Christmas Eve 2012, in my room at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport, Mississippi, when I was getting ready to sneak out and surreptitiously deliver some gifts.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/writesong/8308693119/sizes/o/in/set-72157600591044642/
As everyone was asleep, I successfully delivered the presents without being observed, and I never admitted that I was the one who did it.
Spent significant time this afternoon running errands, as snow is in the forecast and the sky got murkier as the day drew on. Came home with the following, among other things:
SPAM in two kinds, regular and less fat
Tamales
corned beef hash
2 packs of Johnsonville breakfast sausage
dark chocolate hot cocoa
4 movies on 1 disc: The Texas Rangers (Fred McMurray); Canyon Passage (Ward Bond & Hoagy Carmichael); Kansas Raiders (Audie Murphy); and The Lawless Breed (Rock Hudson)
I have food, I have popcorn, I have beverages. I’m good to go. Bring on the snow.
Word has it that Commander Monkress is putting together a taxpayer funded-self promotion party. Looking at 0-6.
One would assume that this is the ticket to have on the Merrill Island/Huntsville social scene.
But still not confirmed at this point as Commander Monkress will not return calls seeking clarification of SEAL/Native American and LE claims.
We will see.