Nigerian Bank Scam

I receive a good amount of spam e-mail. Of all the spam I receive, I am most intrigued by the Nigerian Scam.

The e-mails are often serious in tone. They contain a sincere-sounding request for your help transferring millions of U.S. Dollars from Nigeria to a U.S. bank. A very generous fee will be provided for your help.

Of course, it's too good to be true. The 419 Coalition was set up to fight this fraud. People who are lured into the trap of these scams (not just through e-mails, but through letters and faxes) often find that their bank accounts are swept clean by "advanced fees."

Incredible as it sounds, this is the third to fifth largest industry in Nigeria, and most of the letters and e-mails do originate from there. What's amazing is that people still feel bound to "inquire" about this fee. I get these e-mails about once a month. I sometimes let myself ponder what would happen if this were legitimate: if someone really did my help in moving a large sum of money to a U.S. bank. But it's too good to be true.

World Cup Predictions

Turkey won, which I predicted. Brazil won, which I didn't predict.

World Cup Predictions

Predictions:

Korea 2 Turkey 2. Korea wins third-place match in penalty kicks.

Germany 2 Brazil 1. Ronaldo (Brazil) will score.

A Swing Set

Tonight, I put together the biggest toy yet for Mia: a swing set. What an ordeal.

The "My First Swing Set" (from Hedstrom) was a mish-mash of pipes and screws and molded plastic parts. I started this endeavor on Monday.

I'm the kind of person that reads the manual a few times, and then strategizes over the appropriate order to put things together. Unfortunately, when it came time to connect the metal pipes together, I couldn't drive the driving screw (R84 in the swing set manual, if you must know). My humble Philips head screwdriver kept jumping off the head. I stopped, convinced that the screws were "not right". I called Hedstrom customer service, and the woman did acknowledge that the screws would be difficult to drive, and that in fact, I most likely have the right ones.

So last night, affirming my man-hood, I made a trip to Home Depot, to buy a tool to help me drive those screws. That's right: I bought a cordless power drill.

My Ryobi 12-volt cordless powerdrill (HP1202M) is the essence of a good tool. It feels good in my hand. It's sensitive to the pressure I put on the trigger. And it had the right "bit" to securely hold then drive the screw. I can't think of a recent purchase that has given me such satisfaction.

There were fourteen of these screws, and I used the drill for each one. It felt great. It felt "right". This drill is now my favorite tool, and I'm not a do-it-yourself type. I almost wish I had something else to put together.

Mia should be happy playing with this swing set. I know Daddy had a happy time putting it together.

US Soccer

What a game!

While most of the United States looked on with raised eyebrows ("our boys are where, playing what?"), the rest of the world marvelled at the progress of American soccer. I'm so proud to see our country beginning to shine in this global sport. In 1978, when I first started watching soccer, the only real telecasts were on the Spanish channel. During the second round matches, I remember network TV breaking into the game to play commercials, and it was then I realized how little America understood this sport.

Now, our team (my team!) has held themselves admirably against a three-time winner of the World Cup, soccer-power Germany. Who would have thought this in 1978?

Alas, we are now out of it in 2002, but I have fond memories. I will be actively watching the rest of the tournament, hoping for beautiful soccer, hoping for a dramatic new winner (Spain? Turkey? Senegal? Korea?). Jenn and I have started talking about maybe travelling to Germany for the next World Cup. I hope the American team will make there too.

World Cup: US v. Germany

For once, I wish the United States soccer team was playing its World Cup match at 2:30AM. Instead, I'm off to bed now, anxiously awaiting the start of the match against Germany. I don't dare hope for an upset. It's better to be realistic.

Father's Day Thought

As Father's Day approaches tomorrow, I am humbled by one overpowering thought: I never want to see my daughter die.

Just the other day, Jenn, my wife, was coming home with Mia from day-care, and there was an ambulance outside one of our neighbors' driveway. Their daughter had to be taken to the hospital. She had somehow stopped breathing. Thank God she is OK. Apparently, she didn't even have to stay overnight.

We have been blessed so far. There have been no frantic visits to the hospital. Some minor doctor's visits. Colds. Fevers. A rash on her face. Nothing more. Mia is a healthy baby.

I want to be celebrating many dozens of Father's Days. And I want Mia to be a part of them. I can't wait for her to express herself on these days, as a young girl, then as a teen-ager, then as a young woman. I'm desperate to know that this will happen, but of course I can't know the future. Days like tomorrow remind me of how precious life is.

So I hope she stays alive. So that I can teach her how to throw, how to ice skate. So I can hear her say "I love you". So I can give her lots of money. So I can take her out on special occasions. So I can send her e-mail. So I can be her father.

I hope she stays alive. A simple thought. A thought that is taken for granted, to be sure, but it's my one thought on Father's Day.

NBA Finals: Lakers v. Nets

Last night, I fell asleep watching the LA Lakers and NJ Nets in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Sadly, NJ couldn't produce a victory to extend the series. The Sports Illustrated this week has Shaquille O'Neal on the cover. Apparently, when he finishes his pro basketball career, he wants to become a policeman. I'll believe it when I see it. (Prove me wrong, Shaq!)

World Cup: US v. Korea

I went to bed last night at 8AM. Almost six hours later (1:55AM), I got up so I could watch the United States match versus Korea live. Go US!

helpmeet

Synchronicity.

I subscribe to A Word A Day (AWAD). Today's word was helpmeet. An interesting word, I read about its origin in the AWAD daily e-mail. Basically it's a misspelling of "helpmate". But it has seeped into the language.

Today, I encountered this very word in the book I'm reading. I wanted to read a few pages to pass the time before the NBA Finals started. And there was the word.

Synchronicity.

Early Morning Soccer

I woke up a few times in the night, anticipating 5AM. When it was 4:50AM, I trudged downstairs, and turned on the TV. I feel like such a world citizen, tuning in to the World Cup.

Warning: Soccer result coming!

The result was more than I could have dreamed. The United States scored two quick goals against Portugal (one an own-goal), an acknowledged soccer power. A terrific third goal (Brian McBride). Portugal scored before the half. Jeff Agoos potted an own-goal in the second. But thankfully, the scored stayed like that. This was very much a historic result, one that I'll be telling everyone about when I get to work shortly.

If you're reading this in the United States, and you'll be home at 3PM EDT, this match will be replayed on ESPN.

Anniversary

Yesterday marks the seventh year that my wife and I have been married.

The World Cup

What with all the basketball I've been watching (Celtics down three games to two against the Nets in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals), the World Cup has almost snuck up on me. But not to the rest of the planet.

This is the biggest sporting event in the world. All the world plays soccer. All the world. The best 32 national men's soccer teams will play at various locations in Japan and Korea. The United States will be among them. Their first match: June 5 (Wednesday) at 5AM. I will be watching. (We're playing Portugal.)

All of the matches will be broadcast live, but in the wee-hours, like 2:30AM and 3:30AM. But it won't matter. The World Cup draws an audience as large if not larger than the Olympics.

We have had the World Cup groupings on our refrigerator door since December. But this evening, I noticed that my wife had put up the match schedule, sorted by date. Let's get started!

Knife Cut

I cut my left index finger with a big kitchen knife this evening, almost two hours ago. Boy it hurts to type.

I was cutting some cooked meat, which I was going to have for lunch. I held the knife with my right hand, but I was slicing towards my left. I slipped, and the knife cut somewhat deeply into the finger, just below my nail, somewhat on the side. "Holy Jesus Christ" I spat out, as the blood began pouring out. I ran it under some cold water for a few minutes. The blood kept dripping.

I ran it under water a few more minutes, then put it in a cup full of water. The blood oozed out of my finger, turning the water into a dull red. I went to Jenn. Though she was quite disgusted at my bleeding finger, she said to keep pressure on it, then bandage it when the bleeding subsides. Of course.

I clamped down on my bleeding finger using a rag. After a few minutes of pressure, the bleeding subsided. I was able to look at the cut. It was about a quarter-inch in length, and it felt deep. I wrapped a bandage around this finger, and the bleeding has largely subsided. A clean cut, as they say.

Did it hurt? Only when it was bleeding profusely. I was worried for a few seconds, mostly around when the bleeding will stop (I was watching hockey's Eastern Conference Finals between the Hurricanes and the Maple Leafs). I am amazed at the process my body is now doing to heal this cut. A lot is going on, but essentially your body just deals with it. (Of course, if you're a hemophiliac, this small cut would be deadly.)

The Chronicles of George

The Chronicles of George was the funniest thing I have read on-line about technical support stupidity in quite some time ("her volume was her volume is not working").

The FAQ on this site reveals a remarkably sensitive person, just trying to find some release for his pent-up feelings of frustration at havening had to work with someone like George.

Sorry-Looking Lawn

I mowed my sorry-looking lawn this morning. I also threw down some lawn seed, in the hopes that nature will take her course. Someday, I'll probably feel compelled to "buy" a new lawn (i.e. new sod). Today wasn't that day.

Celtics and Nets

It will be the Boston Celtics versus the New Jersey Nets for the NBA's Eastern Conference Final. The first game is this Sunday.

The Star Wars Prequels

Believe it or not, I watched Star Wars: The Phantom Menace for the first time last week. I borrowed the DVD from a colleague at work, and I finally got around to watching it. (I had just finished watching The Apostle, so I wanted to watch something "light".)

It's been three years since The Phantom Menace (TPM) was released (1999), and twenty years since Return of the Jedi (1983). Return of the Jedi was the last Star Wars movie I saw in the theater (I think I watched the rerelease of Star Wars (A New Hope) right before TPM).

For a variety of reasons, I never got into the idea of watching TPM. For one thing, I didn't really like the plot twists introduced in Return of the Jedi. Over time, I've come to understand them ("I am your father!"), and I've come to accept them ("I am your sister!") but I began to feel that George Lucas was pulling something over his audience.

I don't deny the popularity of the Star Wars films. Star Wars was the first movie that I ever watched more than once in a theater. The first movie in which I loved the music. The special effects. The great lines ("I have a bad feeling about this."). It was influential in that it has informed me of what a great movie experience is all about. I devoured Star Wars. I knew who Kenny Baker and Anthony Daniels were. I read magazines on Star Wars. I collected cards. I had a Darth Vader poster on my wall.

But as I grew up, and was able to absorb more sophisticated movies, I learned that in the scheme of "important" movies, it may fall below, say The Godfather, or Forrest Gump. I've learned to appreciate simple cinematic touches (the unwinding ball of yarn in Cinema Paradiso), great dialogue (Hard Eight), and great acting (Sean Penn in Dead Man Walking).

So I was greatly surprised when I found that I really liked TPM. I watched it once, then watched the DVD's "featurettes" on the making of TPM, then watched it again, listening to the commentary track.

TPM, despite the dreaded Jar Jar, is a fantastic film. Ewan MacGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi) and Liam Neeson (Qui-Gon Jinn) had great approaches to their roles, and young Jake Lloyd played a terrific young Annakin Skywalker. And Natalie Portman (Queen Padmé Amidala) was wonderful. The story was well-paced, and I found myself quite engaged. You know how things will turn out, but you enjoy the voyage anyway. That's good story-telling! (Lucas isn't pulling anything over our eyes...he just doesn't have enough movie hours to tell his story!)

It's not as good as A New Hope. But it's got me hooked again. Joe Barlow's review sums it up: "TPM is a major step forward in the evolution of this series."

I've read some of the tough initial reviews on Attack of the Clones, but I'm sure the generation of young fans who saw Phantom Menace the way I saw Star Wars will be lining up when Episode II debuts. I think I know how they feel.

Boston and Detroit Series

Boston 90. Detroit 81. And now Boston is playing for the NBA's Eastern Conference Championship.

We'll find out tomorrow if we're playing the New Jersey Nets or the Charlotte Hornets. The Nets are up 3-1 in their series. Since I'm originally from New Jersey, and my Dad still lives there, I'll be hard pressed to root against the Nets. But I'll do it. Sorry Dad!

Boston and Detroit Series

Boston 90. Detroit 79. This Boston win makes the series 3-1 in Boston's favor.

If the Boston Celtics and the New Jersey Nets make the next round, I'll really be sweating every playoff game.