Note: This column represents the opinions
of the writer and as such, is not purported as fact
Sponsor's Message
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Yesterday I got an unsolicited message telling me that if I sent $10 to
the person at the top of a list of names and that if I did so, massive
fortunes would soon be mine.
But hang on, don't we all get these messages (or variations thereof)
almost every day in our spam folders? So why am I wasting your time by
telling you about this one?
Well several things about this pyramid solicitation make it noteworthy.
Firstly, all those on the list of names are Kiwis. Yes, give that involvement
in such schemes is not only a sure way to waste your money but also illegal,
this could be a short list of NZ's thickest people?
Here's the list that was included with the message:
- M&C Barkway, 20 Murphy Street, Nelson
- T.L. Wood, 146 William Street, Nelson
- I. Whitley, 91 Kent Street, Timaru
- G&M Agnew, 8 Stanton Crescent, Greymouth
- G.Jones, 34 Blanc Avenue, Fairfield, Dunedin.
Of course there's always the possibility that the message and the names are
just a giant hoax, but there's nothing else here to suggest that.
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Another remarkable aspect of this message was that it contained a slightly
updated copy of the original chain letter attributed to none other than David Rhodes.
Yes, it's a pyramid scheme that has been recycled so many times that it's a wonder
anyone falls for it.
But, the most amazing thing about this message is that it came in the mail,
complete with 45c stamp on the envelope and was actually ink and paper!
I found myself wondering why, if this same solicitation had arrived in my
email box it would have made me angry -- but because it arrived in the mail
I found it rather quaint and somewhat funny.
Perhaps the fact that the sender (presumably G.Jones of Dunedin) had gone to
all that trouble in the vain hope of receiving "$77,760 in $10 notes"
for their effort.
Hmmm.. I wonder if I should write back and offer to sell G.Jones the map
to some buried treasure which is sitting in my desk drawer?
What a coincidence?
Last month I wrote a column titled Could the sky fall?
in which I suggested that the loss of a satellite servicing our region could
cause some chaos.
This column was written following the failure of the Intelsat Americas-7 satellite
in late November.
Well knock me down with a feather, but what just happened?
Yes, a satellite servicing a number of Pacific nations and Antarctica
has died
and left many in the region without communications.
Then I saw this story
on the MSNBC site and wondered if there was any connection? Could a massive
wave of charged particles during the pre-flare build-up have knocked that
bird out?
Is the failure of two geosynchronous satellites in such quick succession simply
coincidence -- or is Comet Tempel making a pre-emptive strike I wonder? :-)
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