|
Now you too can enjoy my Inbox without the annoying spam. Every week I get some amazing e-mail. Some amazing because of the sheer cluelessness of the sender, some because of the time and energy that went into crafting them and some are just simply amazing.
BBelievers
After an absence of BBelievers last week, we snag some more this week. The first batch come from our story about Sony installing DRM on their digital cameras so they can't share pictures. This message board poster is mad as hell and isn't going to take it any more ...
The friggin nerve of these guys, they seriously need to be slapped in the face a few times if ya ask me.
Too bad the people knew about BBspot or else we could've snagged a few more in that thread.
This guy isn't a true BBeliever, but the Sony story has him wondering...
From: Robert
Sent: Friday, November 18, 2005 12:35 PM
To: briggsb@bbspot.com
Subject: SONY camera rootkits?
Brian;
You are kidding, right?
I told him, "Of course I am." He replied...
You would not believe how many folks are linking to it (besides me) and taking it at face-value.
Actually, I would.
This e-mailer wants me to set the BBelievers straight about the Sony DRM story...
From: Bill
Sent: Friday, November 18, 2005 2:45 PM
To: briggsb@bbspot.com
Subject: re. sony digicam - rootkit story
Hello Brian,
Please email the powers that be at MajorGeeks. com that the sony digicam
- rootkit story is a farce as they have it linked as legit news...
He don't know me very well do he? I emailed him back with "Why?"
From: Bill
Sent: Monday, November 21, 2005 7:41 PM
To: Brian Briggs
Subject: RE: re. sony digicam - rootkit story
Hey Brian,
. Thanks for the reply,
"Why..."
Because I can find no evidence of its being a true story (and based on the nature of your site it likely is a farce or satire). You don't want to mislead people (or have others misled in your name) do you? The way it is right now, people are fairly willing to believe the worst about
any: individual, organization or even inanimate object, and your story doesn't give much of a handle to grab that it's a farce except perhaps for the multi-page printout. I popped to it right away (having no previous knowledge of your site and having linked directly to that story), but then I have a near-genius IQ. I would guess it's a low percentage of vistors to your site that do also...
. But it is fixed anyway so you need take no further action. I guess they read my message and put the link in the proper "humorous/strange/weird" category.
Wow, he really doesn't get the point of the site does he. I'd also quibble with him on the percentage of my readers having near-genius IQs. I'd imagine it's higher than most sites. I did manage to get a screencap of majorgeeks.com before they changed it.
The Sony story snags even more...
From: xxxxxx@aol.com
Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2005 2:48 AM
To: briggsb@bbspot.com
Subject:
Interesting story. Going after kids pictures in a Cookie Monster outfit, real heros. Never though it would happen, but it looks like the RIAA/MPAA got beat out for most rabid suits.
I thought it would happen, but it didn't.
And our BBeliever section wouldn't be complete without another long email from an Esenam Ayele BBeliever...
From: xxxxxxx@hotmail.com
Sent: Monday, November 21, 2005 9:59 AM
To: briggsb@bbspot.com
Subject: Financial Help!
Dear Mr. Ayele:
My name is xxxxxxxx, I’ve been married for 14 years and have two beautiful children. My daughter is currently attending XXXXXX College in xxxxxx, xxxxxx. Her desire is to one day become a doctor. My son is 12 years old in the seventh grade.
I’m not sure how to begin this letter other than saying that the situation I currently lye in is of no ones fault but myself. For a long time I blamed my mother, my dad was totally absent from my life, for not teaching us the basics of financial stability. My mother was very young, 15 years old, when she had me and I have two siblings a year older than I. During my childhood I can remember my mother trying to relive a part of her life she missed out on. We lived with having bolted locks on our refrigerator doors, having to sleep outside a lot of times because she and her boyfriend were hanging out and they used a skeleton key lock to keep us out of the house. Most of the times when we were disciplined our hands would be tied behind our backs and our feet would be tied together behind our backs connected to our hands – and they would sit on our face with a pillow and then woop us.
In spite of all of this, I vowed that I would put myself through college and do all I could to better myself so that I could provide a better life for my children. A few months after I graduated I found out I was pregnant. I worked odd jobs for about a year and then decided to put myself through college. What’s interesting is that a lot of white and black people told me I wasn’t college material and that I should consider a junior college…but “GOD” knew differently because I graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelors Degree. I’ve worked off and on trying to raise my children to be strong black men and women who could learn to stand on their own two feet depending on “GOD” only. What was also very important to me was that they felt loved. So I worked when I could because my first goal was to be a mother who would always be part of their lives (i.e., educationally, emotionally, mentally, etc.). Therefore, I never got a chance to put a dent in my excessive student loans which are even more excessive because I vowed that my children would never pay for what I didn’t prepare for – so, I have assumed the responsibility of paying for my daughters education.
On top of all of this, I’m paying the price for my emotional and mental short comings that I should have received treatment for a long time ago.
Doing for others was my way of hiding and running from my depression. I never wanted to deal with my childhood because I was raised that your parents were always right and that they did the best that they could…although I never really believed this. So, because I never felt loved
- I would take from my household to make others feel good…pretty much buying friendships. Well, this led to some serious financial problems. My husband and I vowed that we would not file bankruptcy. I wanted to be responsible by paying back this debt – but I also thought it taught our children the meaning of responsibility. I’ve also taught my children that they must always save 40% of their monies. I’m not sure if this is the correct way of doing things, but I figured since I’ve learned better I teach them.
So, my point in telling you a little bit about myself and my past life experience is to say that what I went through or created was a part of who I was not who I am TODAY. I apologize for having to ask you for anything and would understand If this wasn’t your type of charity case. We have over $200,000 in student loans and that’s growing with us paying for our daughters education. We also have $70,400 in credit card debt and $420,000 in mortgage debt that we’ve been struggling to pay. My family and I would truly appreciate if you could somehow assist us in starting our lives over.
Thank you in advance for everything you have done and are doing in the lives of others. May “GOD”, in the name of “JESUS” continue to bless you!
Esenam is a Muslim, so sorry, no money for you.
One reader writes in to let us know that Microsoft in Japan reads BBspot, and steals our ideas....
From: L Stille
Sent: Sunday, November 20, 2005 9:01 AM
To: briggsb@bbspot.com
Subject: Life imitates BBspot
I'm sure you all remember the ' Microsoft Releases Box Set of Rarities and Oldies ' article.
Well, I guess Bill stops by BBspot now and then. Microsoft Japan has announce a limited edition box set that includes Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, and XP. Unfortunately, it looks like its limited to Japan. Some
links: Engadget (http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000487068548/)
Microsoft Japan
(http://www.microsoft.com/japan/windows/20th/pack/default.mspx)
P.S. BBspot is one of my homepages.
I expect royalties Bill!
Mailbag Revisited
One reader responds to last week's emailer accusing me of finding Emma Watson hot...
From:xxxxx@yahoo.co.uk
Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 12:14 PM
To: briggsb@bbspot.com
Subject: Harry Potter and the Man Quotient
Hi Brain,
Regarding the message from greg posted in today's mailbag, I'd like to point out that Emma Watson will have reached the age of consent when she turns 16 and not 18. She is a British citizen, after all. So, if we go by the "may-be-fancied-if-she-is-of-age" criterion, she'll become a "hot babe" exactly on April 15th 2006, well ahead of time for the next episode in the series.
I guess that presenting the correct facts in the murky realm of criminal law makes me a double geek, but I'll live with it.
I'll continue to make "no comment" on the issue.
Next a reader wonders about Nigeria...
From: Daniel
Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 9:25 AM
To: briggsb@bbspot.com
Subject: Concerning Nigeria (BBspot mailbag)
Please allow me to comment on a reader's mail from a few weeks ago. I intended to reply sooner but I kept procrastinating... anyway, one of your readers wrote (mailbag 02-Nov-05):
"Some of your more devout bbelievers must surely wonder why Nigeria is still classed as a third world / underdeveloped country when there are all these millionaires desperate to give away half their cash."
I actually DO wonder why Nigeria is still classed as a third world / underdeveloped country when this country has abundant natural gas and oil reserves. Nigeria ought to be bleeping rich. But it isn't. The oil companies have a strong grasp on the money and have the politicians in their pocket. Politics in Nigeria is corrupt, all the riches is in the hands of a few, leaving millions without a penny. This is (in part) the reason (or: a reason) why Nigerian scammers are trying to get their hands on western money.
Ah well, there's injustice everywhere...
See for example http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ni.html or http://allafrica.com/stories/200511030145.html or http://www.hrw.org/advocacy/corporations/nige-update.htm
Where's that moron who said BBspotters weren't near geniuses like him?
That's all for this week!
Recommend This Story to a Friend
|
