TECHNICAL GADGETS WE EITHER LOVE OR HATE

Wouldn’t we be lost without telephones? Mostly they bring us closer to relatives and friends, and more often than not they make it easy to deal with organisations, but sometimes they’re simply a pain in the ass.

We got so fed-up answering the numerous International phone calls, along with other presumed bonafide numbers sent to harass people, that we were forced to pay extra for ID Display. The charge is worth it, though, since we now know who or what is calling.

If it says International, number withheld or number unknown we ignore it,  except that the downside was when Joe rang from Australia and it showed, yes you guessed it, INTERNATIONAL. So we worked it that he would send an email to say when he would ring. Honestly, the things we have to go through to avoid nuisance calls.

However, sometimes all we see is a number and I’m quickly learning those to be avoided at all costs. Some spammers have got it sussed. If someone doesn’t answer they leave a message on voicemail and if, like us, you happen to use voicemail belonging to the telephone company then you have to pay to find out which (un)kind person left you a message! I have discovered that we can Google numbers to find out who called but it doesn’t stop them leaving voicemail messages - which we have to pay for.

What with that and spam email it’s a wonder we all stay sane. Here’s the latest new way to advertise, if advertising it really is. Is this an opportunity not to be missed, I ask myself?

This message contains blocked images.

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Mrs Jenefar Gobat (from Hotel) sent you a private message:

PAN PACIFIC HOTEL JOB DISCRIPTIONS.
Suite 300-999 Canada Place Vancouver Canada.
From Mrs Jenefar Goba , Manager PAN PACIFIC HOTEL Canada.
This Invitation mail is from PAN PACIFIC HOTEL Canada, Pls PAN PACIFIC Hotel Needs Men And Women, Who Can Work And Live here In Hotel PAN PACIFIC Hotel Will Pay For Your Ticket And The Visa Fee In Your Country ,If You Are Interested kindly Contact us Back Ok.
E Mail; canadian_hotel@rocketmail.com
please reply me back
Mrs Jenefar Gobat General Manager PAN PACIFIC HOTELS VANCOUVER CANADA...

I didn’t dare release the blocked images... well, you know what goes on in hotels! 

oOo

My new catchphrase is I LOVE APPS. Yes, the iPad continues to entertain. I am addicted to some of the games and my pass rate is improving. For many years I’ve had a penchant for solving or trying to solve puzzles and this has developed even more with the iPad. Joe would probably tell you about the peacefulness that reigns when I’m occupied working through a seemingly unfathomable poser.  Some of the games are easy but others force me to persevere until I find the right clues, let alone the answers. Tell me about a new game and I can’t resist checking it out.

The latest app on my iPad is Britain’s Got Talent where I can vote for the acts as they are performed ... free. Beats using a landline phone and paying astronomic charges!

Oh where would we be without technology?

Since enrolling in ‘Cloud’ I have the added advantage of having the same games or other information on all my gadgets... the computer, the iPad and the iPhone. Take the day to day diary, for example: 

I can enter appointment dates, birthdays and other information on my computer and simultaneously those dates appear on the other devices. I can enter a date on the computer and delete it on the iPhone, and I can read blogs and reply to them on all gadgets. I can read, delete, or save email on iPad or phone so that next time I visit the computer I don’t have those jobs to do. But the best thing is being able to send photographs by phone to all stations, all thanks to wifi and ‘Cloud’. Isn’t that marvellous? 

I guess my needs are simple but I imagine businesses find it a cost-saving development. In case you’re interested the video below explains more about ‘Cloud’. Just imagine what a happy bunny I would be if I was younger and able to benefit from future developments, whatever they may be. I always said I was born in the wrong era...lol. 

 

SPAM

This post isn’t as long as it seems, since half of it can be ignored. You will soon see why.

I’m having such fun reading all the spam emails that end up in my mailbox. I particularly like the ending of one from Mr Sankara Bouda. NOT! I’m the one typing in blue, the bits in red are the highlights ... anything in tiny black text can be skipped *grins*.

Dear Friend,

This message might meet you in utmost surprise, however,it's just my urgent need for foreign partner that made me to contact you for this transaction. I am a banker by profession from Burkina faso in west Africa and currently holding the post of Director Auditing and Accounting unit of the bank.I have the opportunity of transfering the left over funds ($15.5 million) of one of my bank clients who died along with his entire family on december 2003 in a plane crash. Hence,i am inviting you for a business deal where by this money can be shared between us in the ratio of 60/40 and 60 for me while 40 is for you. If you agree to my business proposal.further details of the transfer will be forwarded to you as soon as i receive your return mail. have a great day. Yours Faithfully MR.SANKARA BOUDA NB, MAKE SURE YOU KEEP THIS TRANSACTION AS YOUR TOP SECRECT AND MAKE IT CONFIDENTIAL TILL WE RECEIVES THE FUND INTO THE ACCOUNT THAT YOU WILL PROVIDE TO THE BANK. DONT DISCLOSE IT TO ANY BODY IN YOUR COUNTRY "PLEASE", BECAUSE THE SECRECY OF THIS TRANSACTION IS AS WELL AS THE SUCCESS OF IT.

BEST REGARDS
MR.SANKARA BOUDA

OOH I’M BREAKING THE RULES!

IT GETS BETTER!!!! Note the highlighted line in the first paragraph of this next one.

From:Mr.Samah Alshemmari
MANAGER National Bank of Abu-Dhabi,
Al Salam Branch Opposite ADNOC-FOD.,
bldg,.Salam St.Abu-Dhabi,

Dear Friend,

This letter must come to you as a surprise, but I believe it is only a day that people meet and become great friends and business partners. I am pleased to get across to you for a very urgent and profitable business proposal; I got your e-mail address through an internet yellow page web directory and decided to contact you and ask for your assistance in this urgent matter, requiring trust and confidentiality,

I have cut out the main part of the email since it took up the space of two A4 pages, but had to include this ending:

Your Valid Direct Tel/Mobile/Fax Number.
(2) Your Full Name:
(3) Current Resident Address.
(4) Your Private E-mail Address.
(5) Your Occupation:
(6) Your Age and Sex:
(7) Your Nationality:

YEAH, RIGHT, AND WHILE I’M ABOUT IT PERHAPS I SHOULD INCLUDE MY CREDIT CARD NUMBER!!

Then I shall furnish you with due process of concluding this transaction Without any delay.
Send your reply to this email:nbad4532@yahoo.co.jp

Regards
Mr.Samah Alshemmari,

AND THEN THERE WAS A MESSAGE FROM PABLO PROCTOR WHO PROMISED TO TELL ME THE ANCIENT SECRETS OF NIGHTS OF PLEASURE. Of course, I would have had to open the link to find out and that was something I didn’t dare do :O)

I guess viewing these things with humour is the best way of dealing with irritating spam.

Catching up with events

Not only did we have a clock change and an extra hours sleep, but we had fused lights as well. I rose at my usual time, except it was an hour earlier (if you know what I mean) so I didn’t get an extra hours sleep. I felt quite excited knowing that the time available gave me some extra reading time. Wrong. What I hadn’t counted on was the lights fusing just after I got up. Our fuse box is kept in the garage, and the garage faces the road and other houses, so to go out in my nightwear wasn’t on the cards at all. I would wait. I had to wait unless I wanted to go out armed with stepladders and a torch (remember it was dark) in my nightwear, to fiddle with locks and garage doors and then to find I didn’t know which switch to press when I opened the fuse box. If I got that far! It’s times like this when I wish I was taller. Most of my adult life I’ve been 5’2” but I swear I’ve shrunk in latter years.

Halloween is over and I didn’t hear one shriek from the local community. I’m sure there were parties on the go and lots of trick or treaters knocking on doors but not in my road. I heard fireworks but now that we have a curfew of 11 o’clock (23.00 hours) there was much less noise. The police were active on Facebook and Twitter (I only saw the latter) asking people to be a bit more considerate and to remember that older people felt threatened by youngsters ringing bells and knocking doors at night. Unfortunately there was an incident in a road a couple of miles away when louts damaged parked cars, smashing windows etc, and even turning one vehicle over onto its roof. I have yet to learn what pleasure they get from being so destructive. If only punishment could be along the lines of an eye for an eye!

Click the pic to read all about him

Closely following Halloween is our Guy Fawkes Day/Bonfire Night which came and went with fewer wild parties. I decided, since Bonfire Night fell on a Monday (Monday Mirth day) I wouldn’t bore you with my dislike of that particular event/celebration. Suffice to say that fire maims or kills and I had my share of injury by fire 50 years ago. One never forgets that sort of thing, one never grows to like it either. For a change there was nothing on the news about people being cruel to animals by tying fireworks to their tails; I hope that the lack of information means that mankind has become more considerate.  Of course I may be jumping the gun since people prolong their celebrations by several days. Who knows what the weekend will bring.

I wish!

Our shopping day is Monday. We could, of course, go any day but on Mondays the supermarket seems a little quieter. Did I say quieter? That’s a facetious joke if ever I heard one. Is it just mine or do all supermarkets have their share of screaming toddlers? One in particular is a Monday regular. You could bet money on him opening his little mouth and screeching his little head off every flippin' week while his mother carries on shopping in apparent ignorance of what is going on. Wherever we go he isn't far behind, or in front.

I remember when my infant child thought it was fun to scream in a place where the acoustics emphasised each screeching note and if I couldn’t stand it I felt other shoppers would have the same abhorrence. Instead of chastising or cajoling I simply waltzed him out of the store with the threat that only if he stopped his racket would I reconsider purchasing some goodie or other. It worked for me so it could possibly work for other mothers with similar problems. Perhaps they don’t hear their offspring’s not-so-dulcet tones ... perhaps they’re stone deaf.

And what about the car parks? It’s nothing to see children running between cars, unwatched and unsupervised while their parents load shopping into car boots. 5 mph is the speed limit but these days motorists seem to be blind to traffic signs, cautionary or otherwise,  as do pedestrians who saunter across the park totally oblivious to traffic.  I hold my breath........ and pray!

On a lighter note. Are you on speaking terms with the local birds? For several weeks I have been chatting to a Robin... don’t laugh. Whenever I top up the bird feeders the robin flies close to where I’m working, and waits. It’s as if he wants to be first in the queue. I talk to him, saying daft things like don’t be impatient or I’ll make sure you get first pick. He never answers back. So, the other day I went out to top up the feeder and Robin followed. He parked on a nearby branch and watched and listened to my inane chat. I can never guarantee that every seed makes it into the feeder, some always spills to the ground. I don’t worry because the pigeons will soon scoff anything that doesn’t make it into the Perspex tube. This time, though, my aim was perfect.... except for one seed which shot to the ground, landing right by my foot. Robin dived, collected the seed, and returned to his branch. How’s that for bravery? Clever and fearless is the Robin.

Now to share with you my latest spam email

Dear Friend,

I assume that this message will reach you in good health. However, it's just my urgent need for foreign partner that made me to contact you for this transaction. I assured you honesty and reliability to champion this business opportunity.

I'm Mrs. Rose Patrick, from Burkina Faso West Africa, I am the foreign operation manager of the African Development Bnak Burkina Faso (ADB). I have the opportunity of transferring the left over funds what of ($25.2Million Dollars) from the account of our bank's customer who died along with his entire family in a plane crash.

I am contacting you for this business while the money will be shared between us in the ratio of 50/50, on the acceptance of my proposal, Further details of the transfer will be forwarded to you as soon as i receive your response.
Amount to claim US$25.200.000.00
Now my questions are:-
1. Can you handle this project?
2. Can I give you this trust?
Please indicate your willingness by providing the below information for easy communication.
Your name :....................
Your address:..................
Your country:..................
Your occupation:...............
Your age:......................
Telephone number:..............

Hoping to hear from you as soon as possible.
Regards
Rose

__________

Yeah, right, and while I’m about it I’ll include my credit card number.

Spam

Just lately my comment notification emails have gone into the spam box and the spam into the inbox. Crazy or what? I mean Yahoo knows who my regular contacts are. I think they must be having a few hiccups.

This must be the longest spam email I've ever received and I wish I hadn't received it. I know people can have disposable email addresses so it's probably a waste of time filtering and blocking. The interesting thing about this message is that the final paragraph is a different size and font to the main body which makes me think it was a copy and paste job. I wonder how many recipients there are?

My Dearest,

Good day to you, I have decided to contact you after much thought considering
the fact that we have not meet before, but because of the circumstance oblige me, I decided to contact you due to the urgency of my present situation here in the refugee camp, I am Miss Ajara kones, 23yrs old female and I from Kenya here in Africa; my father was the former Kenyan road Minister. He and Assistant Minister of Home Affairs Lorna Laboso had been on board the Cessna 210, which was headed to Kericho and crashed in a remote area called Kajong'a, in western Kenya. The plane crashed on Tuesday 10th, June, 2008. After the death of my beloved father my wicked step mother along with my uncles team together and sold everything that my late father had and share the money within themselves. Unfortunately to me I fined my father's briefcase and when I opened it I found a document, which my late father use to deposit the sum of Eight Million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars ($8.500.000.00) in International Micro De Finance Bank, here in Burkina Faso West Africa with my name as next of skin, right now I am in Ouagadougou Capital of Burkina Faso to withdraw the money so that i can start a better life and also further my education.
 
But on my arrival to the Bank, the Bank foreign Operation Department Director whom I meet in person told me that my father instruction to their bank is that the fund would only be release to me when I am married or present a trustee/partner who will help me and invest the fund overseas after the transfer, and the bank ask me to go and look for a foreign partner, that was why  I decided to contact you, which I believe that you are going to be honest and reliable person that will help me and stand as my trustee/partner, so that I can present you to the Bank for the release and transfer of the inheritance fund into your bank account in your country, and It is my intention to compensate you with 40% of the total fund for your services and help and the balance shall be my capital in your establishment. As soon as I receive your positive response showing your interest i will put things into action, in the light of the above, I shall appreciate an urgent message indicating your ability and willingness to handle this transaction, awaiting your urgent and positive response, Please do keep this only to your self, i beg you not to disclose it to any body till i come over because am afraid of my wicked stepmother, i will send you my picture in my next email, with due respect, i am pleading that you help me, i am giving all this detailed information with every transparency believing that you will have a clear picture of the base of help i need from you.

I hope to hear from you soon, May truth and love be the guiding word in my refuge,  
Best regard

 
Yours Sincerely
Ajara kones