(no subject)

This is puzzling. What the hell are these emails? I receive them from time to time in my daily avalanche of spam. They are obviously fictional -- there are no such things as a 4 Dimensional Warp Generator or a crystal Ionizor with unlimited memory backup. So what prompts such emails? Are they absurdly elaborate email address harvesters? Or are they the misguided attempt by someone to really obtain these non-existent devices? Or some strange hoax that lures the gullible into parting with money somehow?

At least they are amusing, which is something I can't say about most spam.

We need a vendor who can offer immediate supply. I'm offering $5,000 US dollars just for referring a vender which is (Actually RELIABLE in providing the below equipment) Contact details of vendor required, including name and phone #. If they turn out to be reliable in supplying the below equipment I'll immediately pay you $5,000. We prefer to work with vendor in the Boston/New York area.

1. The mind warper generation 4 Dimensional Warp Generator # 52 4350a series wrist watch with z80 or better memory adapter. If in stock the AMD Dimensional Warp Generator module containing the GRC79 induction motor, two I80200 warp stabilizers, 256GB of SRAM, and two Analog Devices isolinear modules, This unit also has a menu driven GUI accessible on the front panel XID display. All in 1 units would be great if reliable models are available

2. The special 23200 or Acme 5X24 series time transducing capacitor with built in temporal displacement. Needed with complete jumper/auxiliary system

3. A reliable crystal Ionizor with unlimited memory backup.

4. I will also pay for Schematics, layouts, and designs directly from the manufature which can be used to build this equipment from readily available parts.

If your vendor turns out to be reliable, I owe you $5,000.

The Ellen Show

Here is something odd. Tonight, at 1:15am, Channel 10 (here in Melbourne) is showing the first episode of what they call a new series called The Ellen Show. It is new in Australia, but it was first screened in US about 2 years ago. Well... I guess that is new for Australia.

What I find puzzling is that their "first episode" is actually the 14th one in the series. It is the first one in a very strange way though. It is the first episode that was never aired. Only 18 episodes were made, sadly (I like Ellen DeGeneres' humor, even though it often mined embarrassment for humor). In the US the show was cancelled after the 13th episode and the last 5 episodes never made it to air. (Don't confuse this with her first series, titled simply Ellen which ran for 5 seasons -- 109 episodes!)

So does this mean we will only get 5 episodes? I'm betting it does. Channel 10 probably got the episodes at some bargain basement discount, but didn't bother picking up the previously screened episodes. *sigh*

Mars

Some nice pics from Mars are up on http://themis.la.asu.edu/latest.html

The one titled Dalmation Terrain is especially interesting. I've clipped a small portion of it here. (To see the depth properly imagine the light coming from the left.) This is near the edge of the polar ice caps. The large smooth white area is the ice. The parts that have caught my interest are the dark mottled areas. Notice that there is an almost continuous dark line at the edge of the melting ice. This could be uncovering darker sands, as they say in the description that accompanies the photo, but I have to admit that it reminds me of the way algae and moss grow. Wishful thinking, I know, but gee it would be so nice if we found life there...