Uncategorised

Scammer!

The names have been changed to protect the innocent. A friend on Facebook has had her account hacked. A scammer contacted me from her account and the following ensued. The only things you need to know are that I’ve never been to the Isle of Man and I don’t know anyone called Ruby.

Wed 13:47
Ethel – Hello Andy
Wed 19:35
Ethel – How are u
Andy – Hola. Another year older! How’s you?
Ethel – Original message: Another year older! How’s you?
I’m good and u
Andy – Ok
Ethel – Andy i lost your contact can you send it back to me
Andy – What contact?
Ethel – Oh sorry wrong message the message was supposed to be for my friend Jean
Ethel – So how was your day
Andy – Boring! Just hanging on for retirement
Ethel – Oh
Ethel – But you can still make money why you are retired online don’t you know about forex
Wed 22:26
Andy – Is that the thing you told Ruby and me about when we were on holiday in the Isle of Man?
07:13
Ethel – Original message: Is that the thing you told Ruby and me about when we were on holiday in the Isle of Man?
Yes and ruby and started making money from it
Ethel – So should I send you the forex manager contact
You replied to a participant
Original message: Yes and ruby and started making money from it
Wow! Really? She never mentioned it and I’ve been driving her to the weekly KKK meet ever since the accident with the pogo stick.
Someone replied to you
Original message: Wow! Really? She never mentioned it and I’ve been driving her to the wee…
Maybe she forgot we make money from it everyday you can start today and also earn money today
Ethel – ‪+1 (910) 315 5947‬‬
Ethel – This is the forex manager WhatsApp number I have told him about you that you want to start earning money like us also
Ethel – So just chat him up on WhatsApp
Andy – I’m going to check with Ruby first and ask how it works.
Someone replied to you
Original message:
I’m going to check with Ruby first and ask how it works.
Ethel – Ok but message him first because I just tell him about you to show your serious do you want to know how much I earned yesterday
Andy – Just been going over my photographs of our holiday together. Wasn’t it great? I particularly liked the public birching.
Ethel replied to you
Original message: Just been going over my photographs of our holiday together. Wasn’t it g…
It was great
Ethel – Have you messaged him so I can tell him
Ethel – Because I want my family and friends to so enjoy what I enjoy
You replied to a participant
Original message: Have you messaged him so I can tell him
No – I told you I’m gonna talk to Ruby first. She should be back from kayaking the Amazon in a few days. How they adapted the canoe to take the wheelchair is amazing. Has she shown you the pics?
You replied to a participant
Original message: Because I want my family and friends to so enjoy what I enjoy
That’s very nice of you, but I’m very careful with money what with all those scammers we keep hearing about.
Ethel replied to you
Original message: That’s very nice of you, but I’m ery careful with money what with all th…
Ok if you want to start how much will you start with on the forex
Ethel replied to you
Original message:
No – I told you I’m gonna talk to Ruby first. She should be back from ka…
Yes she has
Andy – Not bad for an 80 year old, eh?
Ethel replied to you
Original message:
Not bad for an 80 year old, eh?
Yes
Ethel – I will love it if you are part of the winning team so we all can be happy making money
Andy – I don’t remember you being so obsessed with money. Have things changed since you had the triplets?
Ethel replied to you
Original message: I don’t remember you being so obsessed with money. Have things changed s…
Yes everyone is obsessed with money
08:25

Andy – Strange thing for a Buddhist to say! Besides, it’s not true. Some of us are more obsessed with hot oil and hoover attachments. Know what I mean?

09:04
Someone replied to you
Original message:
Strange thing for a Buddhist to say! Besides, it’s not true. Some of u…
Ethel – Yes it through

Ethel – Just withdraw my profit few minutes ago that about 8000£
Andy – Ooo, great! Does that mean you’re paying for this year’s trip to Lourdes for the cross burning?
Ethel replied to you
Original message: Ooo, great! Does that mean you’re paying for this year’s trip to Lourde…
Yes sure

Andy – Fantastic! In that case I’ll have the laundry put some extra whitener on my robe and get a new pink pompom for my pointy hat. How many chickens do you think we’ll need for the sacrifice this time?
Ethel replied to you
Original message: Fantastic! In that case I’ll have the laundry put some extra whitener on…
I don’t know how many do you suggest
Andy – Well, we normally have one for each point of the pentagram, so it really depends on how many summoning rituals you want to do. Shall we say 25? I think any more might have customs asking too many questions – not to mention what the coach driver might say.
Ethel replied to you
Original message: Well, we normally have one for each point of the pentagram, so it really…
Ok 25 is great
Andy – You want Brahmas or Leghorns? Or maybe something exotic like a Jersey Giant?
Ethel replied to you
Original message: You want Brahmas or Leghorns? Or maybe something exotic like a Jersey Giant?
I think jersey Giant will be better
Ethel – I don’t know I just forgot my password of my Facebook I can’t logout because I don’t remember the password
Andy – You don’t need a password to log out – you just log out.
Ethel replied to you
Original message: You don’t need a password to log out – you just log out.
Yes I know but I can’t login it if I logout that the problem here
Ethel – Send me your number again let me check if I can recover it
Andy – Why do you need my number for that? I thought you only ever used SextonBlake. I’ve warned you about password security before.
(NB Sexton Blake is rhyming slang for fake.)
Ethel replied to you
Original message:
Why do you need my number for that? I thought you only ever used SextonB…
I don’t just know what to do
Andy – Oh, OK. Since it’s you my number is 0300 123 2040
(NB – This is the number for police Action Fraud line)
Ethel – Ok thanks please send me the code they sent to your gmail or sms so I can recover it
Ethel – ?
(At this point I had to make up some numbers so I translated my message with the old phone keypads. I will include the words in brackets.)
Andy – It says 9682868 (YouC**t)
Ethel – The code didn’t work
Ethel – Send me the new code
Andy – A “please” wouldn’t go amiss – trying to help you here.
Ethel replied to you
Original message: A “please” wouldn’t go amiss – trying to help you here.
Ok they have sent the code to you check your email or your sms
Andy – Excuse me, but don’t give me orders like that – it’s very rude.
Ethel replied to you
Original message: Excuse me, but don’t give me orders like that – it’s very rude.
I’m sorry I’m not given you order Andy
Ethel – I just said they have sent it to you
Andy – It says 7226687 (scammer)
Ethel – Pls can you send me the screenshot because the code is not 7 but 8
Ethel – Don’t be offended I know you are trying to help me Andy
Andy – Oh, yes – beg pardon – it’s 72268879 (scammery) – copied it wrong
Ethel – Pls Andy you know I resent the code again so this one has expired just send me the screenshot so i will look the code my self so i will stop stressing you pls
Ethel – don’t be offended okay
Andy – I don’t know how to do screenshots on this phone
Ethel – Ok send me code they sent they will send it just now on your email
Ethel –
Ethel – The email start with j and ends with 2 pls help me to check it and send it to me thanks
Andy – 28638787 (bumfarts)
Ethel – I don’t know why the code you are sending is not working
Andy – BTW – Ruby just texted me from. They’ve made it to Monte Alegre. but she’s had to stop because her prosthetic leg has broken.
Ethel replied to you
Original message: BTW – Ruby just texted me from. They’ve made it to Monte Alegre. but she…
Really
Andy – She says she’s never heard of this forex stuff.
Ethel replied to you
Original message: She says she’s never heard of this forex stuff.
Maybe she don’t want to tell you because she promised not to tell anyone else I’m the one who tell people
Ethel – Ruby made profit today
Andy – But I told her you’d been in touch. Why would she not say so?
Ethel replied to you
Original message: But I told her you’d been in touch. Why would she not say so?
Because I told her not to tell anyone just both of us earning from it
You replied to a participant
Original message: Ruby made profit today
Good for her – no doubt she’ll just stash it in her Northern Rock account as always.
(NB – Norther Rock went out of business 12 years ago.)
Ethel – You can message the manager and he will show you the profit ruby made today
Ethel – Do you still have the manager number all i should send it again
Andy – Wouldn’t that be rather unprofessional? Not sure I’d want to invest in something where the manager hands out information that should be private.
Ethel replied to you
Original message: Wouldn’t that be rather unprofessional? Not sure I’d want to invest in s…
It private because he can’t show you but ruby showed me how much she earned today
Andy – From halfway up the Amazon with a busted false leg? Wouldn’t have thought that was the first thing on her mind. Although, thinking about it, she can be a bit weird. Remember that time she was rewriting her wiki entry while we were trying to get Sasha out of the airplane toilet?
Ethel replied to you
Original message: From halfway up the Amazon with a busted false leg? Wouldn’t have though…
Yes I remember
Andy – Poor Sasha – never was able to have another kid after what that vacuum toilet did to her. Still, eight is enough for anyone.
Ethel replied to you
Original message: Poor Sasha – never was able to have another kid after what that vacuum t…
I sorry for her

Ethel – What about what we discussed are you still interested so I can tell him because out every referral they give me a bonus
Andy – Oh, weren’t we all, especially after Clifton dumped her. Sobbing all night and necked more than a bottle of Tequilla
Ethel – You haven’t answered me
Andy – You’re being rude again
Ethel – No Andy am not rude
Ethel – Ohk I’m sorry
Andy – I’m beginning to think there’s something wrong here.
Ethel – Just trying to make everyone happy seen me and ruby is enjoying it so you can also and my bonus
Ethel replied to you
Original message: I’m beginning to think there’s something wrong here.
I don’t understand
Andy – The Ethel I know wouldn’t be so pushy. And why would you need a “bonus”? You’ve got enough share certificates to wallpaper a double garage.
Ethel replied to you
Original message: The Ethel I know wouldn’t be so pushy. And why would you need a “bonus”?…
I’m not pushy ok I’m sorry Andy
Ethel –
Andy – Well, you have been. Can’t say that I’m happy with this forex stuff what with you pushing it so hard and Ruby saying she knows nothing about it. Perhaps the three of us should chat at Graham’s BYO Rentboy party next month. Can’t remember – is it the 11th or the week after?
Ethel – Ok

11:30
Ethel – I want to try the number again so you send me the code please
Ethel – Thanks
Ethel – They have sent the code to your email thanks pls send me the code

11:51
Andy – 74483223 (shitface) – but this is the last time I’m doing this, OK.
Ethel – It because you don’t send the code instantly that why

Ethel – They sent you a code now this is the last code it will work pls
Ethel – pls send me the new code just this last one
Andy – Last time – I’m deleting anything else that turns up – 80782537 (U-sucker)
Ethel – The code they sent you is 6 digit code not 8 that why is not working Andy
Andy – You complained earlier that it wasn’t 8 digits. That’s what they sent me.
Ethel – The new code is 6 Andy pls
Ethel – I’m waiting pls
Andy – No. Not going to do this any more. You’ve basically called me a liar. I expected better from you and you’ll have to sort it out by yourself.
Ethel – I didn’t called you a liar Andy they said we have sent a 6 digit code so I’m telling you that the new code is 6 digit Andy please
Ethel – I’m sorry if you are offended
Ethel – Andy please
Andy – And I’m telling you what they sent me. To think it’s come to this after all we’ve been through together – Boris’s divorce and not mention me lending you the lake house to get over the abortion.
Andy – I’m so disappointed in you, Ethel.
Ethel replied to you
Original message: I’m so disappointed in you, Ethel.
I’m sorry
Ethel – Did they sent you any new code
Andy – I’ve told you I’m not doing that any more. You don’t seem to grasp that there’s only so far you can push me. If my word isn’t good enough for you then you’d better just send me back my gimp suit and we’ll have done with it.
Ethel replied to you
Original message: I’ve told you I’m not doing that any more. You don’t seem to grasp that …
It hasn’t gotten to that
Andy – Alaye
(A word by which Nigerian scammers identify each other.)
Ethel – Kia U mumu Sha 😂
(Which I think is something like “you dumb shit”)

Science

The Earth Is Not Flat!

There! I’ve outed myself as a “Globetard”!

In recent months Alex has spent a fair amount of time arguing with flat earthers on Facebook. So much so that I decided to take a look at what they’re saying and, much more entertaining, how people who actually DO know what they’re talking about rebut and debunk this nonsense. Now, I don’t actually care what these people believe, but I have a strong aversion to them trying to place such beliefs on the same level as, or even ahead of, proper science. And if their nonsense is allowed to go unchallenged it will gain more traction and suck even more people into their pit of disinformation and deliberate misconstruction. (I have the same aversion to creationists!)

Science is difficult – I know this because I’ve had to do quite a lot of it in my nearly fifty years of working life.  Proper science that is – you know, the stuff that researches the evidence, argues rationally about the observations and gets peer reviewed, that kind of stuff.

I was asked a few years ago whether I believed that men went to the moon. Well, I know they did, so belief is irrelevant – and with the right equipment I can prove it. Several of the Apollo missions left laser reflectors up there and you can bounce a light beam off them. We did a lesser experiment with radio dipoles mounted in old dustbin lids about forty years ago off the roof of a school.  Proper scientists laser range the moon regularly as it’s very useful to know how far away it is – it helps predict the tides and the weather and it’s how we know that the moon is moving away from us. Science – it works!

I’m not going to waste too much time on what the flat earthers call their evidence, but their predominant argument seems to be that we’re being lied to, mainly by NASA, about the heliocentric model and that gravity will tend to make spherical stars and planets. However, they seem to have no comprehension of just how many people would have to be involved in such an alleged cover up or that, with so many people involved, the chances of proof emerging would be huge.  [If you’re really into such things see “On the Viability of Conspiratorial Beliefs” by David Robert Grimes (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0147905). His modelling suggests that, with more than 400,000 people involved, if the moon landings had indeed been a hoax, they would have been exposed as such by 1973, or while the Apollo program was still running.] That aside, the Russians were tracking each mission and would have debunked Apollo in real time if it had been faked.

One of the biggest problems the flat earthers have is dealing with gravity – you know, that thing which makes the toast fall butter side down? They maintain that there’s no such thing, as to admit otherwise would mean they’d have to ignore the fact that large celestial objects tend to be sort of round. The best they can come up with is that the Earth is constantly accelerating. Now, Newton’s first law requires that there be a force acting on the Earth for this to happen. In the heliocentric view it is gravity which causes us to orbit the sun, but the flat earthers fail to explain what powers the acceleration in their model. They also fail to explain the origin of the infinite amount of energy which would be needed to continue this acceleration once we got close to the speed of light (which we’d have done after about a year!). One of their more ludicrous claims is that objects fall because they are denser than the air around them. Yeah – just think about that for a moment – I’ll wait!

Many flat earthers say that we must trust our own eyes – we can look and see that the Earth is flat! Well,  two things. An observer looking at the night sky in the UK will see Polaris and the stars will rotate counter-clockwise, while in Australia they will see the Southern Cross and the stars will go the other way. That works on a globe, but it’s completely impossible on a flat plane. Secondly, to an ant on the roof of the O2 the surface would appear flat. It’s all about scale and perspective!

The stock-in trade of most flat earthers is to deny the overwhelming mountain of evidence for the globe and then insult or try to belittle anyone who disagrees with or challenges them. They tend to be sad, negative people, prone to clutching at straws and they’re often very angry and sometimes religious, but they all share the same delusion while being unable to agree on a flat earth model which actually fits all the observable evidence. If they can’t or won’t understand the science then it’s either bullshit or CGI. (Despite the fact that two of the most famous photographs of the globe, Earthrise (1968) and the Blue Marble (1972), were taken when CGI could just about do a line animation of the human hand and more than a decade before Max Headroom!)

Some of the worst propagandists for the flat earth are lying charlatans and clearly just doing it so that they can con more money out of those poor deluded people in the bacofoil hats. For the latter, it’s just another sad example, were one needed, that some people are so paranoid that they would rather believe an elaborate, complicated and fanciful conspiracy theory than face the more humble, but still amazing, facts.

Pretentious Crap, Uncategorised

Follow the Munchkin

Elon(gatedEgo) the self-professed “free speech absolutist” has been wielding the ban-hammer quite a lot recently. A more notable victim has been Jack Sweeney, who had an account which twatted every time Mulch moved his jet – a Gulfstream G650, call sign N628TS, for any air-geeks out there.

Now, it’s important to note that Jack is not doing anything illegal, either here or in the states, as aircraft locations are publicly available information. Jack also published the location of Chump’s clapped out 757. It’s just that Mulch doesn’t like that kind of publicity, and he banned Jack’s Twatter accounts on the spurious grounds that it’s a security risk.

So be it! Here’s a link where you can find Elon’s penis substitute in real time:

https://www.youtube.com/live/GBDpPVTolvs?feature=share

And here’s the link for Jack’s other places:

https://grndcntrl.net/links/

Bad Service, Media, Politics, Pretentious Crap

TwitFer-Twat

My Twitter account has just been suspended!

I mean – I did it myself shortly after Mulch took over, mainly in response to the appalling, heartless and spineless way in which he sacked most of his workforce. But I went back, and now I’ve been suspended. “What for?” I hear you cry.  Apparently I called some racist blonde fascist a bimbo. At least – I think that was it. I can’t get in to see. I can’t get the account unsuspended until I delete the Tweet, but I can’t delete the Tweet because my account is suspended. Seriously, you can’t make this shit up.

It’s very sad, but Twitter is no longer what it was. Mulch is engaged in a solo race to the bottom  and has turned Twitter into a sad shadow of it’s former glory – a nasty, feral place full of racism, conspiracy theories and right-wing bile. It is now his vanity project – a place where only those prepared to brown-nose the Mulchkin get shunted to the top of the feed, such that you’re met with these puffs front and centre whenever you log on.  Algorithms boosting the toadies and the grovelers.

All power to those who want to stay there and fight this repugnant slide into meanness and mediocrity, but this time I realise that I’ve wasted too much time on it and really can’t be arsed to go back. That said, there’s a double standard here that needs to be called out. Mulchkin calls himself a “free speech absolutist” and has said some pretty vile things about those he doesn’t like or agree with.  Now, I’ll say this bit slowly so the knuckle-draggers on the right can understand it –

YOU CAN’T HAVE FREE SPEECH THE WAY MULCHKIN PREACHES IT AND THEN IMPOSE RULES ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE CAN SAY.

It’s called hypocrisy – go look it up.

Politics

A proper legacy for Sir David

“A kinder, more compassionate society where every individual has a sense of belonging and where we recognise that we have more in common than that which divides us.” That’s the vision of the Jo Cox Foundation five years after her murder by a Neo-Nazi white supremacist.

I don’t blog very often these days – mostly because a) so little winds me up and b) I have the CBA that marches hand in hand with advancing years and failing health. But too much has taken place in the last week not to comment.

What happened in Leigh-on-Sea last Friday was horrific. We’ll have to wait and see what (if any) errant nonsense is put forward by the perpetrator’s defence team. But with the possible exception of a genuine mental illness nothing can justify the killing of anyone who was going about their peaceful and lawful business, which Sir David Amess most clearly was. (In my book, the fact that he was a Member of Parliament does not add anything to such an egregious crime.) Such a senseless act will forward no cause. It leaves a family bereaved and mourning. Unfortunately it also leaves politicians scrabbling around trying to find a scapegoat. And there’s some real BS that needs to be challenged!

First is the argument that MPs need to be able to maintain the personal relationship with their constituents. The overwhelming majority of us will never have reason to approach our MP, and when we do it’s mostly by way of letter or email. I’ve never once needed or wanted to attend my MP’s surgery, but I accept that some people do. What I don’t accept is the idea that the surgery can’t be subject to security arrangements. MPs are quite happy with the idea of “in-need” constituents having to yell their personal details through an inch of plexiglass in a busy council housing office or a crowded outpatients department. And as our litigious society has forced many GPs to have a chaperone in order to carry out an intimate medical examination, I see no real reason why an MP can’t have a caseworker with them. (MP Stephen Timms was stabbed in May 2010, and he survived. His assistant disarmed the attacker who was restrained by a security guard until police officers arrived.)

Jacqui Smith, the former Labour home secretary and now chair of the Jo Cox Foundation, has said “Elected representatives have a right to be safe in their public life. ” I’d go one further and say that we all have a right to be safe, but most of us will have to make our own arrangements. Ms Smith then went on to say that “we all have a responsibility to treat elected representatives with respect”.  Perhaps the best place to start with such a novel idea would be the House of Commons.

In the UK we have the unedifying spectacle of MPs aggressively hurling insults at each other – not to mention the childish bear pit of Prime Minister’s questions. Doesn’t take much of a Google to find video of MPs spitting hate-filled venom at each other across the floor. Recently the Deputy Leader of Ms Smith’s own party declined to apologise for calling the Conservatives “scum”, saying she was using “street language” to convey her “anger and frustration” at the actions of the government. Hardly the language of respect. You reap what you sow!

It is disingenuous in the extreme to suggest that hostility towards, and abuse of, politicians is a new thing – and then to blame it all on Facebook and Twitter, the current all-purpose scapegoats.  Any student of history knows that that argument is utter bunkum and just deflection. The UK has a lengthy tradition of insulting and egging MPs – and worse. David Amess is the eighth serving MP to have been murdered since Spencer Perceval in 1812.  Irish Nationalists who murdered four MPs between 1979 and 1990 didn’t have Facebook or Twitter – they barely even had mobile phones, but what they did have was an idea.

Social media is a reflection of society – the main drivers of hatred have always been religion and politics. (See Blogarama ad nauseam on the evils of religion.)

There is so much toxicity in our politics and our elected representatives show little or no respect for each other. Monkey see, monkey do, and you only have to look across the Atlantic to see what happens when Pandora opens that box and a major political party effectively legitimises hatred.  The USA has torn itself apart and it will take a generation to heal, if it ever can.

The best monument to Sir David Amess would be for our politicians in the UK to put their own house in order, to learn how to disagree with civility, to set a decent example.

General

First, erm …

I’ve been watching a CNN series on First Ladies …

  • Eleanor Roosevelt – fought against segregation and then chaired the committee that produced the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
  • Jackie Kennedy – who showed such grace and style, restored the White House, but above all reminded us what dignity in adversity looks like.
  • Nancy Reagan – not my personal favourite, but she gave us the example of devotion to a partner and helped steer Ronnie into meeting Gorbachev.
  • Michelle Obama – another campaigner for human rights who, more than anything, gave a very human face to the White House.

Sort of begs the question – apart from putting up some bloody awful christmas decorations and wrecking the Rose Garden, what exactly did Melania do?

Uncategorised

Coronarse Brexit!

This has been floating around the interweb for the last few days.

First thing to say is that it’s a parody account and not the real Ken Clarke, but for all that it was put to me that the point is still valid. Is it really?

Before we go anywhere else, what there is of an argument here presupposes that fruit and veg picking is an unskilled job which anyone could do – an argument which could only have been made by someone who has never had to do it. It requires physical fitness and dexterity and no small amount of skill. Yes, I know that the east end of London used to decamp to Kent every autumn to bring in the hops, but that only serves to illustrate the point.  Hop picking is now done largely by tractor, but it used to require skills not generally available in the workforce – not least the ability to work on stilts – and these were passed down generation to generation by families who usually went to the same farms each year.

The most recent circulation that I’ve seen of this tweet was from a Facebook group describing itself as “A page for those from (county deleted to maintain family peace) to promote the EU, and a reversal (or at the very least toning down) of the destructive ‘Brexit’ project.” I have no doubt, judging from the comments left underneath it, that they thought it was spiffingly good fodder, but I do doubt that they stopped to consider how much it contradicts a major part of their own cause.

The fruit-pickers in question are coming from Romania, which is an EU state and, as such, there is currently no power in law to stop them from entering – it’s EU law enshrined in UK law, go look it up. If, as was put to me, we could find 70,000 people within our current unemployed to go out in the fields, why do we still need freedom of movement?

General, Health

Hell Hath No Fury …

… like an off-duty staff nurse trying to get some kip!

One of the side benefits of living on this estate is that we’re only 300 yards from a major hospital. That means that something like a third of the households here have a member who works there – the majority of them on shift. Most residents appreciate this which is why it generally remains a nice quiet place to live.

The new family at the half-way house at the end of the terrace faced the full wrath this afternoon. Karaoke in the garden followed by full-volume (c)rap music is not what we’re used to – and bass that can be heard over the noise of a jet-washer is definitely beyond the pale.

Fifteen minutes into this al-fresco “performance” and we witnessed the glorious sight of Sister Clarinda in full battle-colours – dressing gown and fluffy slippers – emerging from the flats opposite like a heavy cruiser under full throttle to launch a broadside of “just-what-the-fuck-do-you-think-you’re-playing-at” – the secondary armament instantly letting fly with  “I’ve-just-done-a-12-hour-shift”!

Much “terribly-sorrying” and we’ve returned to glorious quiet and can hear the birds again. Saves me belly-aching to the housing association!