Xewr8f&s32@u#ru#a2ha Ha ha!

UPPDATE, 04.07.17

Here is another in the same genre. Who knows? Maybe Mailik is back under a new name?

[begin message]

From: toson tamara
I am very sorry to disturb you with my little problem. But I hope that you will understand to help me as fast and as possible.
  Right now I am house arrested and I am being house arrested for 2 years due to some slight misunderstanding that I had with the former company where I used to work. So I cannot currently do anything on my own because I have 2 police men who are custodying me here in my house. So even if I have to go to the toilet there is one of them who is always standing near by me. This is exactly why I need your help Mr. because I have some documents that I deposited into a security company here in London/UK about 3 years ago and this documents are holding a transfer worth of 4.6 million british pounds. All I want you to do for me is to assist me in clearing this documents from the security company as my beneficiary or next of kin so that the lock box that these documents are in can get delivered to you there in your country on my behalf. I will write to the security company as soon as I get your reply to notify them that you are to clear this lock box on my behalf as my beneficiary. So as soon as the delivery of the box commences to you I will get a suitable lawyer who will accompany the delivery of these documents to you, so together you and him will clear the transfer of the 4.6 million dollars into an account there in your country. And after I will continue with the purchasing of your property as I said. This lock box that is containing the documents has a security code that opens it I will give the codes to you as soon as the delivery of the lock box commences to you.
    I was not supposed to be able to write this email or use anything that has the access of the internet but because I have one of these 2 police men who are custodying me here in my house as a friend. He understands me and gave me this idea, he is standing next to me right now as I write to you. I am writing to you because I like your property and also would prefer to leave this country as soon as everything is rectified with your assistance. I am originally from Austria but I have lived most of my life here in England. I wrote to 4 other house owners wish I was also interested in but you were the only person that replied to my message so I hope that you can be able to help me. 10 percent of this 4.6 million british pounds is going to be for you because of your help assistance. So please I need you to understand me and try to help me as soon as possible. I will be most grateful...

[end message]

My response was to have him write in German, which he did, and then the messages stopped.

[begin original post]

In 1995, computing students at the university where I was teaching had a field day discussing a letter that came from someone in Nigeria promising a fee if the recipient could help "the poor soul" move money out of that country. The letter failed some credibility criterion--I don't recall what it was but it was surely contained, then as now, within a very careful reading of text. Over twenty years later, the phishers in Nigeria(?) are still at it, only the appeal to heartstrings has changed to the plight of refugees trying to take a nest egg out of Syria.

As a part of appearing legitimate, a phisher recently sent me this image of his I. D., which was attached to his(?) email message. Does it convince you?*

Phishing ID Specimen

Here is the letter. You might receive something like this. If so, suggest you ignore and delete, although some study of the pitch and any "evidence" to establish credibility, such as the above image, would be well worth the time.

[begin message, not the original formatting]

Greetings my dear,  

How are you and your family today, I pray you are all safe and good?

I thank you for your response to my mail on your property? which i am interested in, i read the details of your  property? and i like it and i am ready to pay for it on your Said price. I am Contacting you in great confidence hoping that you are a very reliable and trustworthy person and therefore would be helpful to me.

My name is Dr.Abdal Malik, a Medical Doctor by profession / volunteer and a member of the Red Cross, I am from Syria. I contacted you because of the sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union, Which prevent us from Securing our financial transaction here.

I have the sum of 2.7 million euros Which I discovered in my brother's save ground, my late brother Mizrahi Abdal, who was killed in the al-Omari Mosque Massacre. He was a very successful contractor in Kuwaiti Oil city and was privately dealing on gold dust and bars before his untimely death.

The ongoing civil unrest in my country Syria have changed my future and if we come to a concrete agreement i will send the money to you for safe keeping till i make my way and come to meet you in your country very soon, i will need the  property? and that is why i contacted you, please help me to achieve achievement this.

I will give you 15% of the total money (2.7million euros) for your assistance / participation. I hope I am been fair on this deal.

Where i am now we can only communicate through the Red Cross communication facilities which only permits me to send emails and we can not make phone calls now because no network at Bab al salaam area since it what blocked by the government.

Please if you are interested in helping me in this transaction i will give to you the complete details you need for us to carry out this transaction successfully. I have a very good means of sending the money out of Syria to your country with the help of a red cross jet that brings relief materials from Europe. Please, you are in a position to help me start a new life. I have already lost my wife and my 12 year old daughter in the chemical attack when i went to work to save the lives of other people. Please my life is in danger in the hands of Asaad military and ISIS terrorist.

I would owe you my life if you help me. I wait for your fast response so i can give you further details upon hearing from you. Please reserve the  property? for me and consider my request for our mutual benefit and life ahead.

Best Regards

Dr.Abdal Malik

[end message]

Am I an alarmist? I think not. Do a search on these keywords--phishing scam Syria--and you will, for example, omit address and phone number from your email signature . . . among other things.

---
* Comments on the phishing I. D. image above.

-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----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=sr0G
-----END PGP MESSAGE-----

 (Key to decryption included--request if not obvious.)

[end original post]

National archetype

Krampus is one name for what the Bavarians around Munich call Ruprecht and the Czechs call Cert (diacritic missing but pronounced as one syllable, ch-eh-r-t). I have been fascinated with the fascination here with Cert and his devil's horns. I swear the Czechs constantly call up this archetype.

The idea of Ruprecht (without horns) and Cert (with horns) (I have lived in both places they haunt) is that he, this archetype, is the dark sidekick of St. Nicholas who visits small children at home or at school in early December. The dark one is dressed like the devil with black and shabby clothes and coal-smudged face. In Germany he even brings pieces of coal indicating the reward reserved for naughty children. The German one actually threatens by making noise, bashing a long switch to the floor or ground, and so on. Germans! The Czech one merely attends the saint, as far as I have observed. I am sure there are variations galore in this corner of Europe, but that is the idea: scare the little buggers into behaving.

My fascination is that no matter what time of year, this pair of horns appears in the Czech lands--women, men, children and in the imagery one can see during the course of just living and being here. I think there is something to this . . . I point out to Czech acquaintances they live in the fish bowl swimming as fish; whereas, I am the outsider, a witness, and can observe more objectively. My arguments never hold water on this subject with what can't be seen by one living in the culture.

At a farmer's market last fall, one of the vendors was wearing the horns. And on the way to the market, a billboard advertising something like insurance or banking, there she was, a model dressed to the nines with the red horns. Too sexy to be threatening, but nonetheless. Perhaps it's like the yellow car. Once you notice one, there are countless yellow cars.

But I swear. It is an image and ornament everywhere. Perhaps I should become more scientific about my hypothesis, which dates from my first years, early 90s, in the Czech Republic. Would locals then believe me? Nah.

Now I see a movie is out with another twist on the archetype. Krampus. It looks cute but I don't think historically accurate per the traditions observed around here, Bohemia and Bavaria.

Moving on a bit, because I took a shower and got to thinking. _Devil_ is _lived_ spelled backwards, and the joy and growth and evolution and sex that one word may represent is an opposite to repression (arrestation?) devolution, degeneracy, bad stuff, taboo. And of course, the old cuckold joke, which persists even today in places like  Italy. All those cornettoes and hand gesture referring to same, what else, taboo sex? Also of course, we can't forget the Czech word for black, černý. And then there is char-coal. I'm kind of tempting myself with riff-type free association, but I will let you take it from here. Except to say when/if you visit in these parts, a key to Czech culture is "naughty but nice".

Describes Czech women, don't it? Shhh! Whisper not a word I said that.

Good Muther, good night

[Along with an Easter gift, a personal headlamp, for my grandson.]

Yeah!
for Cruz

A little light to put on your head,
so you can say, "Good Muther, good night,"
and later sneak-read cosy in bed.

Or you and sis can explore about
without any fear--the dark hates light.
Because there's nothing like going out!



[Along with an Easter gift, a pocket notebook, for my granddaughter.]

Beddy bye
for Lola

Here's a little book
you can read when you're twenty.
Yes, empty right now
but you know there is plenty
of things that you do,
and things that just happen
worth noting and making a note.
So start now--everything's ready.
Life won't stand still
for children before beddy.

Bayesian probability

It's [Bayesian probability] an engine for evidence. It is fed a probabilistic description of the domain and, when new evidence arrives, the system just shuffles things around and gives you your revised belief in all the propositions, revised to reflect the new evidence.* 

I have offered a Christmas poem or other short writing to family, friends, and close-ish others for many years. This year I think it is my last, for the reason given above. To wit, mostly I get no acknowledgement or other response. I have a few faithful readers. I take that back. I have one, and she is a treasure--my cousin in Carson City, Nevada, and this year her dear partner along life's circuitous byways. And then sometimes, more often than I care to count, I get, "Huh?!" Or worse, "Why did you ask me to read your incoherent missive?"

Which this year has led to these two of six New Year's resolutions that seem probable.

• Send no unsolicited writing anymore, ever, to anyone--to no one! except to my cousin and one or two other people.
• Respond to--don't initiate--conversations, but once invited, help the conversation go somewhere, especially by raising questions, not by sharing my knowledge, opinions, or observations.

Here is this year's unsolicited offer/offending piece, called Exhibit One.

I have had a relationship with the Czech Republic. It has been off and on since 1994, although one of my earliest memories of Czechoslovakia as someplace fascinating and far, far away--I would never visit--was a hockey game played in the early 50s that I watched on our first TV set, black and white.

The relationship is back on, and I have returned to where it began for real for me in 1994, Prague. On, by the way, means I am here and not there (elsewhere) and enjoying it this time, having put some unpleasant learning experiences associated with Czechs and the developing country in my past.

Two of my delights are Christmas postcards, especially those of Josef Lada and vánoční koleda (Christmas carols), especially as sung by children's choirs. Although the Czech Republic, I have maintained, is a godless place, especially here in Bohemia, there is saving grace when viewing these postcards and listening to Czech koleda at least once a year.

In the past I have shared with family and friends both the postcards and the carols, but I think it was more for my pleasure than theirs. For the last several years, I have again carried around a batch of these postcards promising myself I would send them out this year in time for Christmas. I failed, again.

However, here is my excuse and a fulfillment of my promise to myself, realized this time of course in my own way. I have turned 71, and although I deny that aging is setting in and have stories for why I don't get done in a day what I used to be able to accomplish, I, like an annoying and insistent child, send at least the Christmas cards plus bonus, a bit of background for them and the artist ( http://praguemylove.blogspot.cz/2010/12/happy-birthday-josef-lada.html ).

Perhaps you will have a look and a read and find something? a bit of your own childhood perhaps, a remembrance of simpler, more innocent times? Wouldn't that be nice gift to yourself. Are these times gone forever? Not if you click on each image and put yourself inside for a moment to see, reflect, and try to decode what these Czechs, and we, are about other than hubris and hedonism, and not just at this time of year.

Oh, as for the music. I have not fundamentally changed about that either. I have no love of music except for Czech Christmas songs and American folk music. Kind of figures, doesn't it? But I won't inflict any of that on you this year--there is always next, we trust.

Exhibit Two. One person wrote me back asking why should she read my holiday message? She really did not have me or my message on her list of priorities and in her busy schedule, which she outlined for me. She objected to my appreciation for a part of the country-culture Czech. I had not expressed the same for Italy and Italians.

I'm sorry. She didn't read my Benano Blog carefully enough, for one. And for the record, each country-culture has its delights and downers; and gosh, my own country of birth has a culture today I can hardly recognize or accept, although there are still things to love about it. Two, how can I be responsible for interfering with her choices of what to attend to and what not?

However, just like the downsides of Italy and Italians, or the Czech Republic, or anywhere else, there is a brighter one. My now former correspondent has a point. Why should anyone read unsolicited material? from a friend? during the holidays? or at anytime? trying to share something about another art and a small corner in the world of music? (Thus the above listed, no longer proposed, resolution.)

Salvation is always loving support for one's efforts, efforts born of good intentions and feelings of affection for the health and well being of others. If this indeed shows through what one does, receiving back in like kind gives one the strength to carry on, regardless of the fool one makes of oneself from time to time.

This year I got several returns like that from the holiday message, and although in all probability based on evidence counted and weighed over the years, I will cease and desist the annual, no doubt selfish, ritual, I take heart and would like to return service with a delight that will be easy to field and redemptive.

A bitter-sweet Czech/Moravian love song, "Teče, voda, Teče," sung by one of the Petits chanteurs a la Croix de Bois. Not exactly Christmas music, but you'll get the idea, er feeling, and will fall in love too, just as with a closer look, I believe, at the Czech Christmas cards I promoted in my holiday message.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2-7aoeozyE

Careful. The song and singer might just break your heart, as in part the message of the lyrics will, but you don't need to know what is being said. You don't need words with art or music. One- and two-way conversations don't always need words.

I dare you not to be touched regardless of other worldly priorities/schedule. Take three minutes. It is my last unsolicited message, which is now a challenge, in all probability.
___
* https://www.edge.org/conversation/judea_pearl-engines-of-evidence

That which commends itself

. . . as evident.

Consider

1. Truth is the most definitive knowledge about and understanding of something that we can have at a given time.

[We employ curiosity, assumptionless observations, and reason to organize evidence and posit truths.]

2. Beauty is the strongest sense we have of the truth of something, and it creates a desire to have more, or even better, endlessly.

[Intuition, conviction, and creativity stimulate and inform our sense of what is beautiful.]

3. Goodness is totally, defensibly the best truth that we can contemplate, embrace, and act upon.

[Truth is beauty. Beauty is truth. In combination these constitute the good.

Faith, belief, and hope are feelings directed toward a something deemed true, beautiful, and good; such feelings transcend our current ability to understand what is, or to accept whatever as it is.

Missing from this big-three constellation of primary and ultimate human pursuits, other than any and every act to negate or contradict their primacy and universal importance, are these.]

4. Being (not doing) and compassion complete the human enterprise.

[In being, one does not act to advance but to gather oneself unto the self and bask in the experience of oneness, of unity.

A healthy self love looks inward but also has the capacity and maturity to extend outward and participate in the being and pursuits of others.]

The challenge

Tests of these "universals" are in specific examples of human endeavor, not excluding those which would seem to belie their applicability and comprehensiveness.

Your turn.

My point

Claims without specifics or citations of studies "proving that something or other does thus and so" are in the category of made-up beliefs and anecdotal notions, not to be taken seriously.

Not here, not anywhere.

Illustration, as sent to me by a relative, who has a certificate of mental disability from the Czech government. But one doesn't need a certificate to claim off-the-wall "facts" . . . as we can observe all across the great country (USA), and elsewhere.

[begin quote]

"Dr. Liu Yiping , encouraged each person receiving this newsletter to  forward it to another ten people, certainly at least one life will be saved ... I've done my part, I hope you can help do your part. thanks!

Drinking hot lemon water can prevent cancer. Don't add sugar. Hot lemon water is more beneficial than cold lemon water.
Both yellow n purple sweet potato have good cancer prevention properties.
01. Often taking late night supper can increase the chance of stomach cancer
02. Never take more than 4 eggs per week
03. Eating pope's nose (chicken backside) can cause stomach cancer
04. Never eat fruits after meal. Fruits should be eaten before meals
05. Don't take tea during menstruation period.
06. Take less soy milk, no adding sugar or egg to soy milk
07. Don't eat tomato with empty stomach
08. Drink a glass of plain water every morning before food to prevent gall bladder stones
09. No food 3 hrs before bed time
10. Drink less Teh Tarik, no nutritional properties but can cause diabetes and hypertension
11. Do not eat toast bread when it is hot from oven or toaster
12. Do not charge your handphone or any device next to you when you are sleeping
13. Drink 10 glasses of water a day to prevent bladder cancer
14. Drink more water in the day time, less at night
15. Don't drink more than 2 cups of coffee a day, may cause insomnia and gastric
16. Eat less oily food. It takes 5-7 hrs to digest them, makes you feel tired
17. After 5pm, eat less
18. Six types of food that makes you happy: banana, grapefruit, whole meal bread, spinach, pumpkin, peach.
19. Sleeping less than 8 hrs a day may deteriorate our brain function. Taking Afternoon naps may keep our youthful look.
Cooked tomato has better healing properties than the raw tomato.
Hot lemon water can sustain your health and make you live longer!
Hot lemon water kills cancer cells
Add hot water to 2-3 slices of lemon. Make it a daily drink
The bitterness in hot lemon water is the best substance to kill cancer cells.
Cold lemon water only has vitamin C, no cancer prevention.

Hot lemon water can control cancer tumor growth.
Clinical tests have proven hot lemon water works.
This type of Lemon extract treatment will only destroy the malignant cells, it does not affect healthy cells.
Next... citric acid and lemon polyphenol in side lemon juice, can help reduce high blood pressure, effective prevention of deep vein thrombosis, improve blood circulation, and reduce blood clots.

[end quote]

___
Suggest one could start here, if interested in pursuing this lemon-water business, especially as observed with mice, the experimental subjects.

Up 'nd go*

Got dead things in your pool?

Want a meal makes you drool?

Call the cook and pool boy--

here to aid ya--though one's goy!

Sick of dead lines you must fix?

Set 'em 'side and have some kicks.

Alone is not lonely, this we know,

but work no play? Up, let's go!

___
* A friend was editing her book and working toward a deadline. She was holed up in her house. The poem was a neighborly, textured offer to give her a break and some assistance as well as food and diversion.