Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Gloria Steinem Would Be Proud

From an email sent out to all of Company X today by a female administrative assistant:

"The women's rest room by me - the automatic flush isn't working. There is a little black button on the wall behind the seat that you can push for a flush."

If this email had been authored by a man, I'm sure he would be reprimanded for being sexist, assuming women didn't have the mechanical inclination to figure out how to flush a modern toilet.

Additionally, he would be reprimanded for being in the women's bathroom in the first place. :)

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Are You Ready For Some... Knees To The Nuts?

The Raiders played the Seahawks last night on Monday Night Football. Oakland's defensive end Tyler Brayton was ejected late in the game for kneeing Seahawks tight end Jerramy Stevens in the gonads at the end of a play.

You've got to ask yourself, "What the heck is going on in the world of sports?"

Joey Porter recently threatened a referee and was fined $15,000.

On October 1st, Tennessee's Albert Haynesworth stomped on Dallas Cowboys center Andre Gurode's head, knocking off his helmet, then kicked and stomped his face.

During the World Cup, France's Zinedine Zidane head-butted Italy's Marco Materazzi in the chest.

Lawrence Phillips, who has a history of violence and numerous arrests, was charged with trying to run over a group of boys with his car because he was upset about losing a pickup game. Don't worry though, folks. It was just an accident.

The Bengals' Chris Henry has been arrested four times in less than a year.

The list goes on, and on, and on. Why do these athletes have such a lack of control? Where does it come from? I blame the parents!

Monday, November 06, 2006

Bling Bling

Want to pimp your lady out? Well, she'll need some bling that won't break the bank. Check out my friends at jdrops.com. Aw, yeah.

Additionally, by offering an assortment of bead jewelry, they cater to hippies, too!

Monday, October 16, 2006

In Memoriam

My father passed away exactly one month ago, on September 16, 2006. While this blog has been primarily dedicated to odd and humorous happenings in my life, I've decided to set aside this small piece of internet real estate for my dad. He was 55 when he died, and it was obviously too soon by most standards. A month later, it is only marginally easier to cope with the fact that he's gone. Closure will come some day, but not today. I love you, dad.



Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Wait For The Beep

Ever since I moved to Florida and established a home phone number, I have often received calls from people looking for some Indian dude. Every once in awhile, I'll come home to a message on my answering machine from some employer who found the Indian dude's resume online. Two days ago, my answering machine recorded ten (10) messages from employers looking for this Indian dude. My guess is that this jackass has posted his resume to some new site, but he has neglected to proofread his resume for the correct phone number. So, in an effort to reduce the number of messages I have to listen to, I have changed my answering machine message. Here it is.

Today, I came home to find three (3) hang-ups on my answering machine and one (1) message. Here is that message.

Saturday, September 09, 2006

Pink Makes Me See Red

NBC kicked off the NFL season on Thursday by broadcasting a theme song that is a remake of Joan Jett's "I Hate Myself For Loving You", sung by Pink. This new theme song will be used every Sunday night, similar to Monday Night Football's use of Hank Williams, Jr.'s overplayed "Are You Ready For Some Football?"

Let me tell you something, friends. Pink is no Hank Williams, Jr.! I'm getting tired of the endless, weekly remakes of "Are You Ready For Some Football", but it is 100x better than the emasculating theme song by Pink!

Why Pink? NFL on NBC producer Fred Gaudelli had this to say: "A football fan knows the anticipation of waiting all day for the big game. When you hear this song on Sunday nights you'll know the big game is about to kick off. ... We chose Pink as the signature voice because she is a tremendous talent with a crossover appeal that makes her relevant to all segments of our audience."

Relevant to all segments of the NFL's audience? I've got news for Fred Gaudelli. Neither Pink nor this new theme song will fire up the NFL's largest segments; males 18-34 and males 35-49. How many football fans are going to paint their faces, chug a beer and yell, "You go girl!"?

Friday, September 08, 2006

Starbucks Senryū

I ventured out to the local Starbucks today, which is a rare occurrence, and I thought I would share my experience in the form of senryū...

Intricate orders
Overpriced java bev'rage
Fruity barista

Brrr

A few months ago, a friend in Pittsburgh informed me that he purchased a vanilla Frosty at Wendy's. He raved about the superior flavor of the vanilla Frosty over the chocolate Frosty. I dashed out to buy one, only to discover that Wendy's had not gone nationwide in their distribution of the new Frosty flavor. Oh, the disappointment. After waiting it out, I was pleased to hear a few days ago that Wendy's has gone into mass production mode, and the vanilla Frosty is available from sea to shining sea! I have tried one, and it does not disappoint. I garnished mine with peanut M&Ms, and the taste was most enjoyable. Do yourself a favor and try one.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Another Used Car Salesman

I've been keeping my eye on a used BMW 540i at Ferman Chevrolet in Tampa. Here's a picture of the car as it was advertised on www.fermanchevy.com on July 21st.


This is a picture of the car as it was advertised on www.fermanchevy.com on August 22nd.


Using Ferman Chevrolet's web site, I submitted the following question:
This BMW 540i has been listed on your web site for awhile, but it used to have 5-spoke wheels. Why the change?

I received the following response:

From: Ferman Automotive Group
Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2006 10:27 AM
To: Dr. F

Dear Dr. F,

We always thought that customers will buy the car not the wheels. The one's on the picture are the original.

Thank you.

Eric Afonso
Internet Manager


Naturally, I had to take issue with the poor logic:
From: Dr. F
Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2006 10:34 AM
To: Ferman Automotive Group

Eric,

If the wheels on the car (as depicted in the latest photos) are the originals, why would you have changed the wheels prior to photographing the vehicle (as depicted in pictures from a month ago), particularly if customers buy the car and not the wheels? Do you still have the 5-spoke wheels?

- Dr. F

Midget Sighting!

The Half Pint Brawlers have been spotted! Some broad that I work with has a friend who saw these active midgets at a bar in New Jersey a few days ago. I think we can all learn a few things from these graphic photos (click to enlarge).



Midgets enjoy drinking and Midgets enjoy stapling money
screaming into microphones. to their faces.





Midgets bleed like the rest You don't have to be a midget
of us. to enjoy biting a woman's ass.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

O.J., Jr.

Maurice Clarett is at it again! Clarett tried to elude police in a high-speed chase while wearing a bulletproof vest! He had four loaded guns in his car.

There are two sentences from a CBS Sportsline article that I find interesting. Given the first statement, the second stands out as ironic:

1. [Prosecutors] said they were concerned that Clarett was driving with the guns only a few blocks from the home of a woman who was set to testify against him next week in an alleged robbery outside a Columbus bar.

2. [Clarett] plans to play for the Mahoning Valley Hitmen, one of five teams in the Eastern Indoor Football League.

Friday, August 04, 2006

Gone Phishin'

For those of you who know the genesis and the history of "Dr. F", you are aware of the numerous Nigerian scam emails that I have responded to in the past. There was much humor to be found in responding to Nigerian scam emails by leading the scammers on, using their greed and their own spotty English to do it. Today there's a new scam in town.

Followers of the blog know that I've been shopping for a BMW 540i, primarily on eBay, and running into characters along the way. I was the highest bidder in an auction that ended last night, but my bid was not high enough to meet the reserve price set by the seller. This is the second time in a row that this has happened to me on this same vehicle.

Late last night, I received an email claiming that a "second chance" offer was being extended to me that would enable me to buy the vehicle for the price that I bid. The email was suspicious, given the fact that it wasn't coming through the eBay system, and the "reply to" email address was not the address identified in the auction listing on eBay. The activity of sending these types of emails is known as phishing. Given my experience with scam emails, I decided to play along. Here's the email chain, in chronological order:

The first phishing email...

From: eBay SquareTrade <ebay@auctions-squaretrade.com>
Date: Aug 4, 2006 12:18 AM
Subject: eBay Second Chance Offer for Item# 110013243741
To: "Dr. F"


eBay Second Chance Offer for Item# 110013243741

CONTACT:
aaron.steph@gmail.com

You expressed interest in an item titled: BMW : 5-Series, Item number: 110013243741 by bidding; however the auction has ended with anothermember as the high bidder. In compliance with eBay's policy, the seller of that item is making this Second Chance Offer to you at your bidprice of US $19,300.00. The seller has issued this Second Chance Offer because either the winning bidder was unable to complete thetransaction or the seller has duplicate items for sale.

If you accept this offer, you will be able to exchange Feedback with the seller and will be eligible for eBay's services associated with atransaction, such as fraud protection.

To purchase this item contact the seller at:
aaron.steph@gmail.com

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please do not respond to this email. Any email sent as a response to this Acknowledgement will not reach us. Should youhave questions or would like to receive additional information, please contact the seller.

Kind regards,
The eBay Team

Copyright © 1995-2006 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The second phishing email...

From: Aaron Stephenson <aaron.steph@gmail.com>
Date: Aug 4, 2006 8:54 AM
Subject: Re: eBay Second Chance Offer for Item# 110013243741
To: "Dr. F"

Hello,

You have the opportunity to purchase this BMW 5-Series, item # 110013243741, at your bid price($19,300.00). The ex winner had some problems and couldn't handle the situation , so following eBay's suggestion, I've contacted you this way. The deal will go strictly according to eBay's rules and policy regarding to this second chance offer- to start the official transaction, I need to know your details:
-full name and address

As soon as I have them I'll start the official procedure, and eBay will notify you about this. You'll also receive important guidelines + payment instructions from them (please go through them exactly). I'll handle the shipping, so this will be free of charge for you + I am willin g to deduct you with the fee for handling the payment procedure. We will use eBay's SquareTrade Insurer to manage the payment(s). It is the safest way for both of us and also you will have 10 days to inspect the car before I receive the money. The car is in perfect condition with no technical or aesthetical flaws or imperfections. It has never been involved in any accident. The car was bought from the US and respects all US standards(DOT,EPA). Also, a refund policy will be included.

Looking forward to hearing from you.


The response...

From: "Dr. F"
Date: Aug 4, 2006 4:23 PM
Subject: Re: eBay Second Chance Offer for Item# 110013243741
To: Aaron Stephenson <
aaron.steph@gmail.com>

Hello,

You have the opportunity to meet me, as I am Dr. F. God has blessed us both with this good fortune to do business together. I am very excited to hear the ex winner had some problems and couldn't handle the situation. Was he mental? Or a midget? My wife, Mrs. F, often creates problems that I cannot handle. She asks if her ass is too big with her adult diapers, and I do not know what to say as her ass is too big without the diapers. Will the BMW seats secure her fat ass? If not, she may role out when I turn fast. This could be a blessing from above.

Tell me your bank account info so I can wire transfer the money soonest. Please send your address for inspection of the car which I will inspect for US standards(DOT,EPA). Let us do this partinership with all honesty and trustworthiness and keep the ex winner in our prayers for his shortness.

- Dr. F

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Who Wants To See A Midget Bleed?!

What better way to kick off August than with midgets?

Check out the Half Pint Brawlers! They've got midgets, blood, midgets, wrestling, midgets and, oh yeah, girls!

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

The British Might Say We're Moving "Sideways"

Seen in an email today here at Company X:

"We made some good edgeway today."

Monday, July 24, 2006

No Justice, No Peace

eBay has responded to my report on the suspicious activity of phila_express_auto_sales:

I appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns about phila_express_auto_sales.

We are concerned about violations on the site and have thoroughly investigated your report, however, in accordance with our site policies, we have found that there is not enough evidence to show that a violation has taken place.

We understand your concern about this situation, and can reopen the investigation if any additional information can be provided and, we also recognize your initiative in reporting this situation and be assured that the information you have provided is important and will be used for further investigation when the opportunity comes.

Your report has also alerted us and will keep us watchful on future possible violations that may occur as related to the members you have reported.

This is the second time I have reported shameless activity by an eBay merchant, and this is the second time eBay has turned a blind eye.

Is the blind eye at eBay headquarters Kofi Annan's?

Is his son, Kojo, selling used cars in Philadelphia?

The public deserves the truth!

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Shenanigans!

In pursuit of finding a BMW 540i that suits my tastes, I have been monitoring eBay. I have come across one car dealer in Philadelphia (phila_express_auto_sales) that appears to be engaging in (to use eBay's terms) shill bidding.

This dealer lists cars in No Reserve, "private" auctions; vehicles are sold to the highest bidder with no minimum price, and the IDs of the bidders are kept secret. I believe this dealer is artificially inflating the price of their vehicles by bidding on them. If a vehicle doesn't achieve a desired price, this dealer (I suspect) is bidding at the last second to win the auction so as to list the car again in hopes of getting a higher price.

I was monitoring one particular vehicle, but when I noticed the vehicle was sold and then re-listed in a new auction by the same dealer, I started monitoring other vehicles being offered by this dealer. Here are my findings, which I have reported to eBay:

2001 BMW 540i
VIN: WBADN53451GC98553
Listed in No Reserve, "private" auction (220003459892)
Sold for $23,600 on July 6, 2006
Re-listed in No Reserve, "private" auction (330005753223)
Sold for $23,600 (again) on July 13, 2006

2000 BMW 540i
VIN: WBADN6347YGM66805
Listed in No Reserve, "private" auction
Sold on July 7, 2006 for $16,500
Re-listed in No Reserve, "private" auction (320007088130)
Sold on July 20, 2006 for $14,601
Re-listed in a "Buy It Now" listing (220010058766) at a price of $17,400

2003 Acura TL
VIN: 19UUA56693A021369
Listed in No Reserve, "private" auction (220005522708)
Sold on July 13, 2006 for $16,100
Re-listed in No Reserve, "private" auction (220009360364)

2004 Honda Odyssey
VIN: 5FNRL18034B056885
Listed in No Reserve, "private" auction (320005343322)
Sold on July 13, 2006 for $20,201
Re-listed in No Reserve, "private" auction (220009363226)

2002 Volkswagon Passat
VIN: WVWVD63B12E142342
Listed in No Reserve, "private" auction (220005531222)
Sold on July 13, 2006 for $13,850
Re-listed in No Reserve, "private" auction (220008657640)

2002 Subaru Outback
VIN: 4S3BH665027653591
Listed in No Reserve, "private" auction (220005532249)
Sold on July 13, 2006 for $12,800
Re-listed in No Reserve, "private" auction (320007924693)
Sold on July 21, 2006 for $12,980

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Verwendete Autoverkäufer

I've been toying with the idea of buying a used BMW 540i recently, and I've actually spent a lot of time doing research. Well, today I was at a "big tent" sale in the parking lot of the local Kmart. I really did not expect to find what I was looking for. The impetus was really to see if the serialized flyer I received in the mail was my ticket to a "fabulous prize".

I was greeted in the tent by a salesman named Rod. Rod immediately asked me if I was ready to buy a car. I told him I wanted to know what fabulous prize I won first. Rod told me that I was supposed to win a $1,000 shopping spree, but they gave all of those away. He proceeded to explain that I didn't really want the $1,000 shopping spree because it was online, and I would have to pay shipping for any items purchased. He assured me I would prefer the alternate prize. The alternate prize was a vacation package for 3 days and 2 nights to one of several resorts. After reading the fine print, it was clear that taxes and surcharges would end up costing me too much to have this vacation really qualify as a prize. That really was no surprise.

Rod asked what I was looking for. I said I wanted a BMW 540i, preferably a model from 2001 to 2003. He said he had no BMWs, but he did have an Audi A4 that was "loaded" with "low miles". I was sure his next description would include the words "cream puff", but he followed up with "it runs like a dream". I explained that there is a world of difference between a BMW 540i and an Audi A4. Rod refutted my claim by stating that the Audi A4 was the result of solid German engineering. He then stated that "the Audis pretty much come off the same assembly line as the BMWs."

I wanted to explain to Rod that Audi and BMW were not affiliated with each other. In fact, Audi and BMW are rivals. But how could I explain this without hurting Rod's feelings? After all, I do not make my living in the car business, and Rod is supposed to be an expert. I had to choose my words carefully. I had to have the right combination of tact and sensitivity. I looked at Rod, bit my lower lip in Bill Clinton fashion, and said, "You are a jackass." And I walked away.

Friday, July 21, 2006

What's In Your Wallet? (Part II)

Capital One has yet to respond to my letter from 7/17/06, despite my 7/18/06 deadline. Capital One stock is down 9% and continues on a downward trend. Obviously, my blog is causing traders to second guess their investment in a company that can't tell the difference between a VISA card and an American Express card. The little guy is winning! Thank goodness I started this blog.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

I'm So Vain, I Probably Think This Blog Is About Me


This one goes out to all the ladies.

Charity Or Chastity... Which Would You Choose?

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

The Dumbing Down Of Corporate America

So, I was perusing an intranet web site here at Company X regarding our Product Development Process (PDP). After following a few links, I came across a page describing the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification offered by the Project Management Institute (www.pmi.org).

A Company X employee who has been certified as a PMP created a PowerPoint presentation with lessons learned from taking the certification exam. According to one of the slides, the exam is multiple choice in ABCD format with no "all of the above" or "B&C only" choices. The slide goes on to say that there are 200 questions, and you "need a score of 137 to pass (67.5%)".

Where I come from, 137 out of 200 is 68.5%, not 67.5%. Additionally, 68.5% is a 'D'. This explains why so much of my day is like an extension of the movie "Office Space".

What's In Your Wallet?

I'm having some trouble with a charge made to my credit card. Fortunately, the charge wasn't for a lot of money. Here's the letter that I faxed to Capital One yesterday to address the situation. I have changed the names to protect the innocent:

July 17, 2006

Capital One
Disputes Correspondence
P.O. Box 85520
Richmond, VA 23286-9175
(804) 747-7200
(888) 435-4217 FAX

To whom it may concern,

On 04/01/06, a charge in the amount of $42.80 was added to my VISA credit card from “[BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT #1]”. Upon discovering this charge while reviewing my account online, I called Capital One customer service and disputed the charge since I had never heard of [BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT #1]. On 04/20/06, $42.80 was credited to my account, pending an investigation by Capital One regarding the legitimacy of the charge. On 06/22/06, the disputed charge of $42.80 was re-applied to my account. Upon discovering this charge while reviewing my account online, I called Capital One customer service and asked why the charge had been re-applied. I was told that the merchant produced evidence that proved the charge was made by me. I was also told that a letter would be mailed to me with a copy of the evidence.

On 07/05/06, I received a letter dated 06/22/06 from Capital One stating the following:

a) A sales ticket has been obtained and, based on that ticket, the disputed charge was being re-applied to my account.
b) I have 30 days from the receipt of the letter to dispute the validity of the sales ticket.
c) Capital One will consider the dispute resolved if they have not received a response by 07/17/06.
d) If I respond and indicate that the signature on the sales draft is not mine and was not made by someone authorized by me, my account will be restricted and transferred to a new number.

Upon reading the letter and reviewing the photocopied sales receipt and invoice which were enclosed with the letter, I called Capital One customer service and spoke with Nicole (ID SV55) at approximately 8:45 PM (EST). I discussed with Nicole my confusion regarding the so-called “evidence” that was used by Capital One to determine that my VISA account was correctly charged $42.80 on 04/01/06. Nicole was very pleasant, and agreed with my arguments, but she informed me that I must submit my complaint in writing to Capital One.

Your “evidence” shows that [Joan Q. Public] ordered a seat cleaning service from [BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT #2] on 04/01/06. The total cost of the service was $42.80. Your “evidence” also shows that [Joan Q. Public] paid for the service with her American Express card. I do not know [Joan Q. Public]. I do not have an American Express card. I have never had an American Express card. I have a VISA.

Who was the Capital One investigator who looked at the American Express credit card receipt signed by the credit card’s owner, [Joan Q. Public], and determined that the charge of $42.80 was correctly applied to a VISA card owned by [Dr. F]?

I would appreciate an immediate credit of $42.80 to my VISA account.

Please, do not restrict my account as a result of this indication that the signature on the sales receipt was not mine and was not made by anyone authorized by me. Hopefully, you can understand that I am not authorized to sign for charges made on [Joan Q. Public]’s American Express card. Additionally, [Joan Q. Public] does not need authorization from me to sign for her own charges.

The letter I received from Capital One contradicts itself. The letter was dated 06/22/06, so I obviously would not receive the letter until after 06/22/06. The letter states that I would have 30 days to dispute the validity of the sales ticket, yet it also imposes a deadline of 07/17/06. Please update your form letter, so as not to further aggravate customers who are already aggravated because they have to write a letter to correct an obvious mistake. Additionally, when signing a business letter, it is customary to include the name of the author in print. This enables the recipient of the correspondence to know who the author is when the signature is not clear.

If you wish to argue that the charge of $42.80 should not be credited to my VISA account, I ask that you notify me within 30 days of receipt of this correspondence. If I have not received a response by 07/18/06, I will expect free stuff. Capital One Rewards points would suffice.

Regards,

[Dr. F]

The Doctor Is In

At the behest of my good friend, stealthgeek, I have started a blog. Prepare to be entertained by true stories that happen to me on a random basis. Don't be surprised if what follows in the months and years ahead is a collection of blurbs related to potty humor and midgets. Enjoy.