Being Swindled

$10.00 TO EVERYONE WHO READS THIS POST!
* Details at the bottom of this rewritten article.
R.a.n.t. of week 08/15/04

One thing that gets my goat more than anything is getting swindled, or feeling swindled. I've brought along a few examples today. The first case deals with a website hosting an online journal. My friend Ray turned me onto this because he knows how much I enjoy writing, and journalling. I started my first journal at age 14 and was dedicated to it for almost 10 years. Once the internet became more viable, I slowly switched to blogging. The web site I mentioned before was sort of a hybrid, part blog, part journal. I liked the site so much, that when it was being converted to a 'free with commercial' site, I was given the option of paying a small sum to have the ads removed. The price was five dollars, something which didn't break my bank, so I happily forked over the dough. Two weeks later the site disappeared, along with my money. It seemed to me there was no intention of keeping the site up and operational. Could it be someone just wanted to pocket a bit of cash before they hit the road? Maybe I'm just naive.

This reminds me how naive I was in grade school. I had this good friend who loved to make 'deals' with me. I recall one deal vividly. He wanted to trade a Star Wars figure I told him I owned for.... well I don't recall what he had in trade but it must have been something awesome. I rarely got Star Wars toys as a kid and treated them like gold. The next day, he would forget to bring his item, but he would persuade me to still trade with him. For a one day delay, he would bring me something better. All I had to do to prove my trust was buy him a candy bar at lunch time, which I happily agreed to. I don't recall he EVER remembered to bring the item I traded for. WAIT, could this be why he said I was his BEST friend? I'm starting to doubt that old friendship.

So gradually, I've learned from these two examples. They have taught me how to recognize a swindle. That's why I will no longer be sending money to Nigeria via Western Union to help Barrister Mustapha Braithwait. I really don't care how many of your goats have leprosy. And you don't need my help to transfer money to America. And I won't be paying to process my lottery winnings. I didn't enter! Please stop sending me these emails.
*To collect your money for reading this, please send a self addressed stamped envelope, along with a $100.00 processing fee to my attention.
Also, I'm collecting donations to help my dead dog who's dying of scurvy.
Reprinted 11/15/12





*PLEASE NOTE - I recently found old R.a.n.t. articles posted to a website I once owned. I've decided to reprint them in my current run. However, ironically enough, I'm not to fond of the writing so I've decided to edit the articles and repost them. For comparisons sake, I've decided to run the edited version as well as the original. In a way, it's kind of fun to see how my writing has changed in eight years.

Original R.a.n.t.
Something happened just recently that really gets my goat. As most of those very close to me know, I love to keep a journal. My friend Ray introduced me to a site that hosts a journal online so of course I went there. It was free of charge and they did a great job hosting entries I’d put there. Then about a month ago a notice was issued they were going to start putting commercials on the site. The way around that was to pay for a year fee, the going price was five dollars. Not really a heck of a lot, and I loved the site so I forked over the cash. Then suddenly the site stopped showing up. It’s been almost a month now and it’s still not up. So the indication is that someone took the money and ran. But to be honest, I’m not so sure that is the case. For all I knew it got to much for them to handle and they couldn’t do it even with the new-found money. But there have been other times I’ve been taken for a ride. Back in school there was a kid that I use to do ‘deals’ with. I’d trade him a Star Wars figure I had at home for something better he had at home. I’d bring my item in and he would ‘forget’ to bring in his. To make it up he’d bring me something better than what he was going to bring if I gave him a candy bar I had, or something like that. It went on for a few months. Yes, I was stupid back then, but I was also naive and very trusting. Needless to say, that simple training in being swindled has taught me much and I know how to recognize a swindle now. So no Mr. Kieve Mackalackadingdong I’m not going to help you transfer money to America by paying your processing fee. No Ian Jinglejangle, top clearing house representative for London Bank, I’m not paying the processing fee to receive the money I won in your lottery I didn’t enter. Do you got that? So stop sending me the emails!!!!