Do you reply to spam e-mails?

Did you ever notice that when some crook from a country like Nigeria (or someone trying to pull a Nigerian style scam) sends you an e-mail, the subject line is almost always in capital letters like "VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE"? Maybe this is like a major clue that something is amiss?

Oh yeah, I'm just curious how many people actually respond to this kind of trash. I do frequently, using lots of bad words. It's a good way to relieve stress. I don't think I ever got a reply ... not that I have checked.

Stupidity in advertising

On a local radio station recently there is a commercial for some car repair place. They are advertising shock absorbers, and if you buy three, you get the fourth one free. The announcer says, "This is like saving twenty-five percent." DUH!!

Another mainstream media news blunder

CTV.CA's WWW site has a story on Charles Manson connected with the 40th anniversary of the murders that he and his followers committed.

The story reads, in part:

Among the victims was Hollywood actress Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant at the time, and four of her house guests.

They were killed by Manson and his three followers, all young women, on Aug. 9, 1969.

This is incorrect. Manson was NOT there.

The people responsible for the slaughter were Tex Watson, Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian, and Patricia Krenwinkel.

It really wouldn't take CTV much effort to get these facts straight.

[UPDATE: After I complained about the above, CTV revised the one sentence to read "They were killed by Manson's followers, including three young women, on Aug. 9, 1969."]

Some cop was interviewed on the local radio news this afternoon. He said, "We had a complaint of a body in the Fraser River." So what was the person complaining about? "There's a body in the Fraser River, it's making the river polluted"?