Stormbringer's Thunder

Updated 3-21-2008 There have been many hits on this posting from people doing searches. Glad I can be of service. A bit of new material is posted at the end. You never met a weblog writer quite like me! Gather round, gang. Uncle Bob wants to show you a scam. Remember, I do this stuff to entertain and educate. Most of my readers won't fall for this, but maybe someone who stumbles on this site (and they do come from all around the world) will take the warning. Be suspicious! I received two letters in two days. They're almost identical. (I'm not the only one , either.) I'll reproduce one here and put my comments in red. FROM: ALPHA FINANCIAL CONSULT. Yes, this does exist. LONDON, U.K. We wish to notify you again (?) that you were listed as a beneficiary to the total sum of £6,000,000.00 GBP (Six Million British Pounds) in the codicil and last testament of the deceased. (Name now withheld since this is our second letter to you). No, it's not. We con...

Stand back. Stormbringer's thundering again, and lightning is shooting out of his eyes. You remember a while back when I railed about welfare slobs. But one in particular keeps setting me off, and I'm going to use this insufferable creature as an example of my point. Imagine being 25 years old and having no intention of getting a job. Not only that, but expecting to be taken care of. Her mother works extra jobs to pay her bills, and this bitch has no shame in watching the old girl work herself into an early grave. And she's collecting welfare, too. Expecting, as a right, to get handouts from the government and from other people. Laziness creates more laziness, greed creates more greed. Funny how those things go together. This particular "person" will sponge and sponge off people, always looking for more. The money is free , not worked for (as in "job"), and she calls it "her" money, and doesn't want to spend "her" money on nece...

Buon giorno, girls and gorillas. Let's take a moment to say, "Happy Birthday" to Christina. She's there in the back, looking embarrassed. Give us a wave, Teenie. Thanks. Stop staring, Nicki. She's too young. One thing that the boys and I know about is money. We like to get it more than give it, of course, but sometimes you have to part with it. Even though we have quite a bit of it, we don't like to part with any more than we have to. Let me tell you about some stupid spending. Freakin' idiotic, really. I know a weasel that spends money like nobody's business. (Well, it's not her money, it's from the hardworking taxpayers or from sponging off her mother. That's why it's fun for her to spend it.) But for those of us who have to work for a living, we try to be careful with what we do with our cash. Spend smart. Weasel girl doesn't do this. She loads the icebox with pre-packaged goodies and convenience foods that are not only u...

Today's discussion was going to be a sequel of sorts to the rant about layabouts sponging off us. That will have to wait because I want to talk about some hang-ups I have. And I'm naming names. Try to follow this. I'll tell this story the best that I can, and hope that I remember all the pertinent details myself. Since I'm not a fan of cell phones (and long-term commitments), I did not get one until I absolutely had to. The Agency insisted, so I relented and got a Tracfone pay-as-you-go plan. I felt cheated, and went to a similar company called Simple Freedom. They were all right, but suddenly, I had been given up to another company. (It's kind of like going to bed as a CIA operative and waking up working for the NSA. I hate when that happens.) The company I was given to was Verizon Wireless Prepaid. Well, the price was adequate, but I felt short-changed. Other people had Tracfones, and were pleased with their service; they did not have the difficulties that I had e...

Edit: New images added and some editing 8-16-2011 There are some things you ought to know. This old cowboy (well, cowboy at heart) is a caring sort. Sometimes I'm dreadful at showing it, and I get thoughtless or maybe even selfish at times. But I try to be compassionate. Pixabay.com / Cornfreak Lately, I've been getting blackmailed by e-mail (hence the title of this piece). No, the sender doesn't intend any harm. These are the letters that say, "I've been thinking of you. You're one of my many friends and I'm sending this to show I care", etc. (It often has a cute poem and pictures of teddy bears or something.) The blackmail part is at the end: "Send this to everyone you know and care about, especially the one who sent this to you. If you don't send this on, then you are evil, lonely, heartless, and will burn in Hell." The same threat comes in some of those useless petition letters that have good intentions, but demean you...

This discussion is more for the men, but I think women can get something out of it as well. "Bond, I've always tried to teach you two things", said Q. "First, never let them see you bleed." "And the second?" "Always have an escape plan." Although it is wise advice for the spy world, we're going to look at it and expand on it. "Gosh, Uncle Bob, are you a spy?" Let's just say that I've had some dealings with, uh, unsavory characters in my time. And some of them still owe me favors. Youse guys payin' attention? (Sometimes you have to talk that way so that they understand you.) Never let them see you bleed. Right. If you're wounded, the bad guys will be even more ready to charge in and finish you off. And you can't show your weaknesses. How does that work for daily living? In the business world, you can't let your competition see that you're wounded or vulnerable. That also applies to office politics. It...

Today's lesson is about people skills. No, it's not a long discussion. But it's important. There is a custom in Japanese culture that involves "saving face". (I have been told that my face is not worth saving, but this is about a cultural thing, not literal or physical.) Essentially, it's about keeping your dignity. I'm not going to discuss the details of this cultual bit, but borrow from the idea (just like I do with Buddhism). In day-to-day dealings, we can irritate people very easily (they don't have a grasp of what is in the previous Weblog, it seems). But if we try to be a bit mindful of our approach, we can ruffle fewer feathers. We can let people save face and keep their dignity, especially in front of others. Heck, I've had bosses that do not require formal address, but in front of "company", I would be a bit more formal and even use "sir" or whatever was appropriate. Didn't cost me anything to do. Here are some tips...