In response to this opinion column in the Wisconsin State Journal today:

Sunday’s Local section feature “At Issue” asked the question “Should ultimate fighting competitions be regulated?”

The press has missed the boat on this issue. Michael Vick went to prison for training and sponsoring dog fighting, yet ultimate fighting and cage fighting is even more repulsive. Those sponsoring such types of fighting should be in jail, too.

It’s hypocritical to have a law against dog fighting, while sponsors around the country are making big bucks off the same insane activity between humans.

Unfortunately many newspapers are now so dependent on advertising that the investigative role they used to play has been lost. Expose ultimate fighting for what it is – dog fighting with humans.

The complainer misses many key differences between dog fighting and “human fighting”:

• These people agree to fight each other, while dogs are forced to.
• Ultimate fighters choose to train to fight, while dogs are forced into training and fighting.
• Ultimate fighters get compensated (with money) for their fights. Dogs do not.
• Ultimate fighters do not fight to the death, whereas dogs do.

I should point out that I am fully against any kind of dog fighting and personally think Michael Vick should have received a harder punishment for his crimes, (He was let of the hook, in my opinion.) but I reiterate that humans are not dogs. The differences start popping up after the mammal part.

Some thoughts and observations from earlier this week:

A cyclist nearly hit the bus I was on going to work on Monday. The cyclist ran a red light and almost collided directly with my bus. If anyone remembers my old blog, you would know that I have a certain disposition towards some of our two-wheeled “pedalers” out there. Some of them have this smug “holier than thou” attitude. I’m talking about those who break traffic laws (without their safety being threatened, obviously that would be an exception), ride on busy sidewalks full of pedestrians, ride down malls without any regard, and even, and even beat up other cyclists out there for stupid stuff (note: he was arrested shortly after).

You may not like motorists, and that’s fine. But don’t take your smugness out on pedestrians, public transportation, or fellow cyclists (full disclosure: I ride my bike from time to time to work as well). Today, this Earth Day, think about how you can help reduce emissions and make everybody else breathe a little more easy. More importantly, be responsible, especially if you’re riding a bike. Ride on the designated bike path or on the street if no path is available; try to avoid the sidewalk, especially busy sidewalks, if at all possible as you can injure pedestrians by running them over.

Oh, and finally, wear a bike helmet!!!! Here’s an old Public Service Announcement off YouTube showing what happens when you don’t wear a bike helmet:

Happy Earth Day!

Wow, a grant from the UN Foundation! That will really help me out, especially now that I am out of school!

Dear Sir/Madam,
GRANT AWARD – 2009.

This is to notify you that you have been chosen By the Board of trustees of
the above International (Charity & Human Developmental) Organization, as one
of the final recipients of a Grant/Cash Donation for your personal
development.

The UN Foundation was created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist
Ted Turner´s historic $1 Billion gift to support UN causes and activities.
The UN Foundation builds and implements public-private partnerships to
address the world´s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the UN
through advocacy and public outreach. The UN Foundation is a public charity.

In line with the arrangements for the annual anniversary program, the UN
Foundation is giving out a yearly donation of Ten Million United States
Dollars as Grants to 20 lucky International recipients worldwide in different
categories for their personal and community development. The objective is to
make a notable change in the standard of living of people in United Nations
Member Countries.

Based on the random selection, you have been chosen to receive the sum of US
$500,000.00 (Five hundred thousand United States Dollars) as developmental
aid from the UN Foundation.
Beneficiaries have been chosen from every UN Member Nation in every
Continent. The idea of this donation is that within ten years from now, there
will be notable wealth among many unusual people around the world. This will
give everyone the opportunity to improve their standards of living. It´s
important to note that you will only be chosen to receive the donation once,
which implies that you will not be selected for subsequent donations.

The Fidelity UK Foundation has been appointed to oversee this development
affair.

You are required to Contact the Executive Secretary of the Fidelity UK
Foundation via the contact information below for documentation and to process
the release of your cash aid, between the hours of 8.00am – 7.00pm on Monday
through Saturday. endeavor to quote your Qualification numbers (G-999-747,
UZ-900-77) in all discussions.

Foundation Assistant; Fidelity UK Foundation – Ewa Morgan
Email: fidelity.foundation@live.com Telephone: +44 70457 10691

Please note that the release of your cash aid/donations is to be administered
by The Fidelity UK Foundation under delegated powers from the UN Foundation.

On behalf of the Board,
Yours faithfully,

Timothy E. Wirth
President,
United Nations Foundation.
http://www.unfoundation.org/

You know, wouldn’t it be better to try to scam a college student on an official university account than, say, a Yahoo! or Gmail account?

Note: I’m leaving up the phone number, award number, etc. this time around. I trust that after reading this entire blog entry not to fall for another one of these variants of the Nigerian 419 scam.

I doubt this person in this Nigeria 419 scam email is seriously a cancer victim:

Dear Friend,

This letter may come to you as a surprise due to the fact that we have not
yet met.
After searching through the internet. I am contacting you to let us assist
children of conflict,to help children affected by war and disaster,

I don’t want you to feel sorry for me, because, I believe everyone will
die someday.
Let me start by introducing my humble self,I am <name removed> , a merchant
here in London, presently taking medical treatment. now, I have been
diagnosed with Prostate cancer that was discovered very late due to my
uncaring attitude for my health.
It has defiled all form of medicine and right now, I have only about a few
months to live according to medical experts. To be sincere with you, I
have not particularly lived my life so well, as I never really cared for
anyone not even myself but my business and money. Though I am wealthy, I
was never generous, I was always hostile to people and only focused on my
business as that was the only thing I cared for. But now I regret all this
as I now know that there is more to life than just wanting to have or make
all the money in the world. I believe when God gives me a second chance to
come to this world I would live my life a different way from how I have
lived it. Now that I know my time is almost up, I have willed and given
most of my properties and assets to my immediate and extended family
members and as well as a few close friends.
I have decided to give alms to charity organizations, as I want this to be
one of the last good deeds I do on earth.

So far, I have distributed money to some charity organizations in
myanmar,Indonesia,China,and Africa at large. Now that my health has
deteriorated so badly, I cannot do this my self any more. I once asked
members of my family to close one of my accounts and donate the money
which I have there to some charity organizations in
Myanmar,Indonesia,China and Africa at large, they refused and kept the
money to themselves. Hence, I do not trust them anymore, as they seem not
to be content with what I have left for them.

The last of my money is the huge cash deposit ($1.6million) that I have
with a security firm. I will want you to help me collect this deposit and
dispatch it to charity organizations and let them know that it is I, Mr.
Derek Rolfe . that is making this generous donation.
I am writing this from my laptop computer in my hospital bed where I wait
for my time to come.

You can reply me through my private email address: <email removed>

As soon as I receive your sincere response, I will hence give you all the
necessary details of how this can be done. I pray that you will support
and assist me with good heart so that I can be able to achieve my goal. If
you accept to help me do this, I promise you a reward of 30% of the
($1.6m).

Thank you for understanding.

<scammer’s signature>

These are getting better and better!

This one is funny:

Los Angeles, here we go!

http://latakethelions.com/

Who has my ATM MASTER CARD? I will bash their skulls wide open with a shovel!!!

Good day,

I have been trying to reach you for sometime now, so i just want to inform you that I have deposited your ATM MASTER CARD of $800,000,00 USD United state dollars to the Fedex Delivery services here in West Africa, and i packaged the ATM MASTER CARD inside a magazine where nobody will notice the content. Insurance and delivery charges have been paid for, but the only fee remaining is the security safe keeping fee of $198 USD which you will be required to pay before delivery.

However, this was not paid for because of demurrage. Well, I did forward them your delivery address, but a re-confirmation is important when contacting them if you want to change your address. I advice you quote the parcel and shipment code to them for onward delivery to your re-confirmed address.The ATM MASTERCARD has pin number 8876.

Contact the shipment office with the below informations and reconfirm your correct address details:
Full name………………….
Home address…………
Country………………..
Telephone……………

Attention: Mr. Collins Oliver Shipment Officer Of Fedex delivery services Nigeria.
E-mail: <you don’t need the email>
Tel: <you don’t need the phone number>
Shipment Code: <you don’t need the shipment code>
Parcel Number: <you don’t need the parcel number>

I am travelling out of town and will be back in three months time. Once again, the Fedex delivery services do not know the content of the parcel, I registered it as an African magazine they don’t know it contains ATM MASTERCARD inside, this is to avoid them delaying the delivery and besides I don’t want you to lose your inherittance funds.

Remain blessed and enjoy your funds.
Barrister Greg Williams.

Look at this quite from the Wisconsin Wrestling Forum at this URL (Even though the subject is apparently football and now much to do with wrestling, it does have much relevance.):

The other clincher – we were about to win our first game in the end of year tourney when my son ran a kick-off back for a TD late in a game. One of the opposing kids pulled my son’s jersey out by grabbing his shirt instead of the flag. The opposing coach protested to the referee that my son’s shirt was untucked. The referee (15 year-old kid) was basically badgered into calling the penalty and called back the TD. We lost by a point. What was worse was that I wasn’t there because I was working pulling piers and my co-coach was this super-mild mannered guy who didn’t say anything to the official at all. He just shrugged and accepted it while the referee basically caved into the adult who more or less, bullied him into calling the penalty……

That further proves to me that you either have to be an AARP member or a Jew to be a referee in anything nowadays. (If someone be willing to accept me into Judaism, please let me know; otherwise, go fuck yourself.)

Yeah, I saw you assholes vandalize the street right behind you at 1:45am just now. You punks think you are all so priviledged. You all got mommy and daddy paying everything for you, which apparaently gives you college punks (what I saw was two guys and one girl, so this issue is also cross-gender) free reign to do whatever the fuck you want.

Dead fucking wrong.

You college punks think you are all tough right now because you all have a blank check from your mommies and daddies. Wait until you get out into the real world where you deal with real people who demand real results. Let’s see if mommy and daddy can save you assholes then. Fucking vandals.

It’s been one of those weeks where my choice to stop believing in God three years ago has been further justified.

I made myself look like an ass last night. A. Complete. Fucking. Ass. In front of many people. I need to get help because I feel so powerless, insecure, and unsure of myself right now, it’s debilitating. And it’s one of those things you can’t even talk to your loved ones anymore about because they are so sick and tired of hearing the same old shit.

I suppose that’s what you get for being born and raised in a wine bottle.