In A Nutshell

The World Wide Web is what we navigate every day,
what you’re reading this page on right now. It dates
to 1991, while the Internet—the underlying network,
the framework on which the Web lies—was created
much earlier.
The Whole Bushel
The mother of all computer networks, the Internet,
grew out of government and university projects in
the early 1970s. The obvious main predecessor of
the Internet, ARPANET, was built by the US
Government’s Advanced Research Projects Agency
and became active in 1969. It was the first computer
network to use packet switching technology—means
of delivering information in small, easily transmitted
“packets” that were relayed along points in the
network (network switches and routers)—which
helped maximize bandwidth efficiency.
Put simply, the Internet is the sum of all other
networks. Your home network, gigantic corporate
networks, the network your cell phone is on—all are
part of the uber-network known as the Internet.
Things like instant messaging and email protocols
were first used in the 1970s, long before the
development of the World Wide Web.

The Web is a sort of graphical user interface for the
Internet. It’s not a physical web of hardware (a
network), but basically the software that runs on it—
or, more accurately, a web of information in the form
of hyperlinks. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is
what enables the Web to run, and it is essentially
just a way to log in to a certain domain (website)
without having to ask permission (say, with a user
name and password).

Though many think of the World Wide Web and the
Internet as being synonymous, the Internet could
(and did) exist without the Web—but the Web
couldn’t exist without the Internet. The first web
page on the first web server was created at
Switzerland’s CERN lab by Tim Berners-Lee on
August 6, 1991.

Technology has completely changed how we live
our lives, and it’s happening at an ever-increasing
rate. Our worlds are completely different from the
world of even 10 years ago. This obviously has
resulted in differences in the way we work and
play, but did you know it’s even changed the way
we have sex?
10 Netflix Adultery
A new issue causing strife between couples is
“Netflix adultery”: watching TV shows and movies
alone that they promised their partner they would
watch together. Twelve percent of those surveyed
said they do it, and 59 percent of cheaters even
reveal spoilers, which means that more than 7
percent of us are dating huge jerks.
Netflix’s director of public relations Jenny McCabe
says that couples are reporting some serious
drama over the phenomenon, commenting “We
hear people say, ‘We made a pact, we were going
to watch this together.’ ” It’s a real violation of
trust and lack of consideration that can cause
tension every bit as real as fights over money or
other relationship matters.
9 Internet Infidelity
The Internet has made actual infidelity easy and
guiltless. CyberLove offers a convenience and
anonymity that can prove too tempting for many
to resist, even if they have someone who is
generally willing to have sex with them right there
in the other room. There’s no physical contact, so
what’s the problem? It’s not like CyberLove is really
cheating, right?
Wrong: 77 percent of people surveyed said that
CyberLove infidelity is unacceptable. Despite the
many reasons a cheater could use to rationalize
their activities, an overwhelming majority of
people agree that cheating is cheating, period. This
new and puzzling gray area is such a big problem
that it was responsible for a full third of divorce
cases in 2009.
8 We’re All Creepy Stalkers
The Internet has given us unprecedented access to
the personal lives of prospective and past partners,
and boy are we making use of it. Almost 90
percent of us admit to “stalking” the social
networking activities of our ex-partners, and 60
percent of us admit to doing so to a crush.
This can have catastrophic effects on our well-
being, because the information often doesn’t fully
satisfy our curiosity and causes even more anxiety.
Stalking an ex can significantly hamper our
recovery from the breakup, and even spur us to
make really bad decisions like hopping back into
bed with them (yes, scientists actually studied this
stuff). It might be best to keep them out of feed,
out of mind.
7 Fear Of Intimacy
Harvard professor Craig Malkin has coined the
term “cybercelibacy” to describe the increasing
number of people who turn to online games and
networks to satisfy their social needs without
having to face scary real people. It creates a
vicious cycle, he explains, where people aren’t
forced to face their anxieties about relationships,
which makes those anxieties grow and causes
them to retreat further.
How bad is the problem, exactly? Well, 28 percent
of people surveyed admitted that they spend less
time with meatspace friends in favor of online
activities, and almost as many (20 percent) say
they’re having less sex. It turns out that going
outside occasionally is a really important step to
taking up residence in someone else’s underpants.
6 Facebook Provokes Your Jealousy
Following your partner’s Facebook feed creates
needless jealousy, one study says. Even after
controlling for other factors (that’s science for
“weeding out the crazy people whose unbridled
jealousy would exist either way”), the study found
that the more time you spend reading your
partner’s boring status updates, the more likely
you are to turn into a raging psycho.
This happens because a good chunk of your
partner’s social interaction becomes visible to you,
but you don’t have those in-person cues that gives
the exchange context. For example, when your
lady’s gay co-worker or the best friend who loves
her like a sister leaves an innocent “You look
great!” on her picture, they know it’s a harmless
compliment—but all you see is some dude hitting
on your girlfriend.
5 Too Many Points Of Contact
A lack of communication can be a big problem in a
relationship, but one study suggests that
communicating too much can be a strain as well. A
survey of 24,000 married people found that using
more than five channels (such as social media,
texting, instant messaging, etc.) to communicate
with your partner actually decreases relationship
satisfaction.
The stress of never being more than a series of
ones and zeroes away from your partner and
monitoring so many incoming data streams is a
killer. Think about how easy it is to step over that
threshold. You follow your partner’s Facebook and
Twitter feed, obviously, and of course they have
your phone number for calling and texting—if you
regularly use even one more communication tool,
you’re screwed.
4 The Online Pornsplosion
With porn so easily accessible, convenient, and
increasingly hardcore, many women are feeling
either neglected or pressured to adhere to male-
centric sexual scripts that they don’t enjoy. It turns
out that many ladies don’t actually enjoy being
sprayed in the face or poked in the butt (acts that
are simply a matter of course in even mainstream
porn nowadays) but feel like they have to if they
want to please their man.
That is, if they’re being asked to please them at all:
More women are reporting that they can’t compete
with the blonde, tanned, and augmented video
vixens, and their partners neglect them in favor of
prerecorded thrills. It’s never a good thing if one
person is unhappy with the naked-time routine,
but the problem is so bad that in 2003, it was
reported that online porn played a major role in a
quarter of all divorce cases that year (and we’re
pretty sure the amount of porn available hasn’t
decreased any since then).
3 Gadgets
Some people are literally addicted to their
smartphones; they can’t even leave the room
without carrying them around like a colicky baby.
Or maybe you like to bring your laptop to bed for
some late-night work, or even just watch a little
Letterman before tucking in. Well, all of those
things could be wreaking havoc on your sex life,
studies show. The mere act of having a phone
nearby is so distracting that we can’t focus on the
person we’re with, and simply having a TV in the
bedroom can cut the amount of sex you have in
half.
2 Dubious ‘Matching Algorithms’
Matching algorithms, such as those used by
OkCupid and eHarmony, use questionnaire
information about users’ personality and interests,
which may help the strangers find things to talk
about, but won’t in any way guarantee relationship
success. Hold on, you say, isn’t it important that
my partner likes Star Wars and skydiving as much
as I do? If I end up with a scaredy cat who hates
sci-fi, how are we even supposed to relate to each
other?
Actually, the former has little to do with the latter.
The way two individuals interact with each other
specifically—i.e., plain ol’ chemistry—is the best
indication of a good match, something that can’t
be determined until two people meet. Maybe that
overly cautious person keeps you grounded
without holding you back, or the foreign film nut
knows intuitively just what kind of support you
need when you’ve had a bad day. Furthermore, the
sites encourage users to objectify potential
partners, “shopping” for matches based on these
superficial and insignificant traits.
1 Googling Your Date
There’s really no such thing as a blind date
anymore: 48 percent of women will not hesitate to
Google you before they agree to go out with you,
and just as many are willing to decline if they find
unsavory information. Sure, some serious bullets
can be dodged this way, like if you find your
potential date’s incoherent, violent blog about his
serial killer fantasies, but in many cases, you
might be rejecting your soulmate based on a false
(or at least meaningless) representation.
According to one study, the more information we
dig up about our suitors, the more likely we are to
reject them. You might think that just saves
everyone some time—you’re going to find out
about her online shrine to Hanson eventually,
right?—but before you judge too harshly, take a
minute to Google yourself. Did anything potentially
off-putting come up? That embarrassingly naive
op-ed piece about Objectivism you wrote for your
college newspaper, say, or videos of your
misguided attempt at hip-hop superstardom? How
representative are those things of you as a person?
The fact is, someone who’s had a chance to get to
know all the virtues and quirks that come packed
in the you-shaped bundle is probably going to find
those things endearing, but someone whose first
impression of you has been based on them is
going to run away screaming. As study coauthor
Joanna Frost, PhD., says, “Your disillusionment
with someone during a conversation might take
hours, during which your date has the opportunity
to explain himself, whereas online that
disillusionment can happen almost instantly.” So
give that freak a chance to explain herself over a
beer—it might just be a charming quirk in an
otherwise flawless package.

1. Criticize you for being flawed.
As flawed as you might be, as out of place as you
sometimes feel, and as lacking as you think you are, you
don’t have to hide all the imperfect pieces of yourself from
a true friend. They see your flaws as features that make
you interesting and beautiful.
The quality of the happiness between two people grows in
direct proportion to their acceptance, and in inverse
proportion to their intolerance and expectations. True
friends love and appreciate each other just the way they
are.
2. Walk away when times get tough.
True friendship and good character is all about how a
person nurtures another person when they are vulnerable
and can give very little in return. Thus, it’s not who’s
standing beside you during good times, but the ones who
stick by you through tough times that are your true
friends.
So take note of who remains in your life when times get
tough, especially the people who sacrifice the resources
they have in their life to help you improve yours when you
need it most. Seriously, when you come out the other side
of a difficult period in your life, look around you. The
people still standing beside you are your true friends.
3. Discourage you.
Unfortunately, some who seem like your friends will try to
hold you back from your full potential. It may be difficult,
but don’t let these negative imposters bring you down.
Don’t ever let your so-called friends turn your sky into a
ceiling. Beware of friends who try to belittle your
ambitions. Small hearts and minds always do that. The
greatest hearts and minds – the people you should spend
time around – make you feel that you, too, can become
great.
Remember, encouraging things happen when you
distance yourself from discouraging people. Doing so
doesn’t mean you hate them, it simply means you respect
yourself. (Angel and I discuss this in more detail in the
“Relationships” chapter of 1,000 Little Things Happy,
Successful People Do Differently.)
4. Hold a grudge over your head.
Some people will refuse to accept that you are no longer
who you used to be – that you’ve made mistakes in the
past, learned from them, and moved beyond them. They
may not be able to stand the fact that you’re growing and
moving on with your life, and so they will try to drag your
past to catch up with you. Do not help them by
acknowledging their begrudging behavior. Let go of their
negativity, find peace, and liberate yourself!
A true friend never holds the unchangeable past against
you; instead, they help your repair your present and
future. If someone relentlessly judges you by your past
and holds it against you, you might have to take matters
into your own hands, and repair your present and future
by leaving them behind.
5. Lie to you.
When you keep someone in your life who is a chronic liar,
and you keep giving them new chances to be trusted, you
have a lot in common with this person – you’re both lying
and being unfriendly to YOU.
If you know someone who avoids the truth by telling you
only what you want to hear, they do so for their own
benefit, not yours. They are not a true friend and they
don’t deserve to be treated as such.
6. Pretend like they have all the answers.
If you think about the people who have had the greatest
positive effect on your life – the ones who truly made a
difference – you will likely realize that they aren’t the ones
that tried to give you all the answers or solve all your
problems. They’re the ones who sat silently with you
when you needed a moment to think, who lent you a
shoulder when you needed to cry, and who tolerated not
having all the answers, but stood beside you anyway.
Don’t look for a friend who will solve all your problems;
look for one who will face them with you. (Read Tuesdays
with Morrie .)
7. Take from you without giving back.
You deserve to be with friends who make you smile –
friends who don’t take you for granted – friends who won’t
leave you hanging. When you notice that a friend is
always taking from you without giving back, you might
need to distance yourself from them for a while. If they
care, they’ll notice. If they don’t, you know where you
stand.
You should want to give, but you shouldn’t be forced to
always give more than you get. If you feel like you are
being taken advantage of, respect yourself enough to
confront the situation. This doesn’t mean you have to
stop being friends with those who you feel are at fault, but
you need to evaluate your friendships and realize where to
draw the line when you give yourself to certain people.
8. Bully you.
It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your
enemies, but just as much to stand up to your friends.
Sometimes bullying comes from the most unlikely places.
Be cognizant of how your friends treat you, and look out
for the subtle jabs they throw. When necessary, confront
them or distance yourself from them – whatever it takes to
give yourself the opportunity to grow into who you really
are.
Life’s too short to be hanging around people who try to
control and manipulate you. Anyone who does so is not a
true friend. Gain your independence by taking off the
shackles and freeing yourself from these bullies. (Read
The Mastery of Love .)
9. Make you feel like you’re burdening them.
True friendship is never burdened with stressful promises
and obligations. What true friends do for each other
should be done because they care and because they want
to do them. Period.
So don’t chase people. They don’t need to be chased. If
someone is a true friend and wants you in their life, they’ll
make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot.
Never, ever force yourself on someone who continuously
overlooks your worth.
Afterthoughts
A true friend who understands your tears and troubles is
far more valuable than a hundred friends who only show
up for your smiles and joys. Because a true friend accepts
who you truly are, and also helps you become who you are
capable of being.
Friendships like this require more than just finding the
right person, they also require you to be the right person.
When someone believes in you enough to lift you up, try
not to let them down. True friendship is a sweet
responsibility to be nurtured, not an opportunity to be
exploited.

“Every relationship needs an argument every now and
then. Just to prove that it is strong enough to survive.
Long-term relationships, the ones that matter, are all
about weathering the peaks and the valleys.”
―Nicholas Sparks
At some point we all get involved in a serious relationship,
be it falling in love with a significant other, or simply
establishing an amazingly close friendship. As soon as
this relationship is in place, both parties must do their
part to nurture it. When they fail to do so, solidarity is
gradually replaced with suffering.
Although I sincerely hope your closest relationships are
not suffering, if you have found yourself in this kind of
predicament (as we all do sometimes), chances are the
problem can be traced back to one or a few causes. If your
relationships are all rainbows and butterflies right now,
consider yourself lucky – this list will simply provide some
good food for thought.
1. Presumed expectations about how someone “should
be.”
You don’t love and appreciate someone because they’re
perfect, you love and appreciate them in spite of the fact
that they are not. “Perfection” is a deadly fantasy –
something none of us will ever be. So beware of your
tendency to “fix” someone when they’re NOT broken.
They are perfectly imperfect, just the way they should be.
Truthfully, the less you expect from someone you care
about, the happier your relationship with them will be. No
one in your life will act exactly as you hope or expect them
to, ever. They are not YOU – they will not love, give,
understand or respond like you do.
The biggest disappointments in life and in relationships
are the result of misplaced expectations. Tempering
unrealistic expectations of how something or someone
“should be” will greatly reduce unnecessary frustration
and suffering. (I’ve written about this extensively in the
“Relationships” chapter of “ 1,000 Little Things Happy,
Successful People Do Differently.”)
2. Searching for the missing pieces of YOU in someone
else.
When we’re feeling incomplete, we tend to go out looking
for somebody else to complete us. Initially we meet
someone who’s compatible with us and they distract us
from our deficiency, at least for a while. Then a few
months or years into the relationship, we find that we’re
still feeling incomplete, so we blame our friend or lover. It
feels like they’ve changed, but in reality they haven’t;
they’ve just become less of a distraction to our own
growing, inner void.
Ultimately what you need to realize is that while a close
friend or lover can add beautiful dimensions to your life,
YOU are responsible for your own fulfillment. Only you can
complete yourself. Nobody else can provide your missing
pieces, and to believe otherwise is to succumb to a
lifetime of feeling broken, as every relationship you enter
eventually ends in hopeless disappointment.
3. Poor communication.
Perhaps there’s something that really bothers you about
your friend or lover. Why aren’t you saying something?
Are you afraid they’ll get upset? Maybe they will and
maybe they won’t. Either way you need to deal with it
upfront, constructively, and avoid burying it until it
worsens, festers and explodes out of you.
Great communication is the cornerstone of a great
relationship. If you have resentment, you must talk it out
rather than let the resentment grow. If you’re feeling
jealous, you must communicate in an open and honest
manner to address your insecurities. If you have
expectations of your friend or lover, you must
communicate them clearly. If there are any problems
whatsoever, you must get them out of your head and into
the open so they can be worked out.
Information is the grease that keeps the engine of
communication running. Always give the important
people in your life the information they need to
understand you. And communicate more than just
problems – communicate the good things too. Share what
you love about your friend or lover. Share what is going
on in your mind and heart. Share your deepest thoughts,
needs, wishes, hopes and dreams. (Read The 5 Love
Languages .)
4. Little lies that add up.
Anything is better than lies. They are like a cancer in the
heart and soul. They eat away what is good and leave only
decay and devastation behind. If you spend your life
learning to lie to the people around you, not only will you
hurt and deceive them, you will also hurt and deceive
yourself – you will forget your own truth.
There is perhaps no phenomenon that is more destructive
to a relationship than dishonesty, which permits envy,
hate and deception to be acted out under the guise of love
and virtue. Even the smallest, seemingly innocent lies
eventually snowball into larger issues. Stand by the whole
truth – your truth – always. If you say you’re going to do
something, DO IT! If you say you’re going to be
somewhere, BE THERE! If you say you feel something,
MEAN IT! If you can’t, won’t and don’t, then DON’T LIE.
It’s always better to tell the whole truth up front. Don’t
play games with the minds and hearts of others. Don’t tell
half-truths and expect your friends or lover to trust you
when the full truth comes out; half-truths are no better
than lies.
Remember, love and friendship don’t hurt. Lying,
cheating and messing with people’s feelings and emotions
hurts. Honesty is the healing remedy.
5. Lack of presence.
Presence is complete awareness, or paying full attention
to “the now.” If you do not find at least some amount of
presence in the moments you share with those you care
about, it is impossible to listen, speak, compromise, or
otherwise connect with them on a meaningful level.
Presence is looking inward and learning how to be with
yourself, in the moment, see the gears turning, embrace
what’s in your immediate vicinity, and thereby put space
around destructive thoughts of other times and places, as
you apply your full energy to the “here and now.” The
idea is that you must first attend to the reality of the
moment before you can effectively contribute anything
positive to it.
Simply being completely present with someone else is
difficult because it requires you to share yourself
completely, vulnerabilities and all, and enter a moment of
unguarded honesty with this person.
To cultivate your presence, all you need to do is sit quietly
for as long as you desire and put your full attention on
your breath – thinking only of what each inhale and exhale
feels like. Don’t judge or resist your inner-workings.
Simply accept and breathe. Practice this a few times a
day, and it will start to feel more natural. This way, when
you are in the thick of a deep conversation with a friend or
partner, you can access that presence and listen without
judgment or impatience, speak with clarity, and learn to
fully connect and compromise.
Bottom line: Be Present. Give the people you care about
your full attention. Let them see they’re own beauty in
your eyes. Let them find their own voice through your
listening ears. Help them discover their own greatness in
your presence. (Read The Power of Now .)
6. Some relationships aren’t meant to last.
There are certain people who aren’t meant to fit into your
life in the long-term no matter how much you want them
to. They pass through your life in a shorter time frame
than you had hoped to teach you things they never could
have taught you if they stayed.
So many people think friends or lovers have to be the
perfect fit, because that’s what everyone tells you to want
– that’s the Hollywood love story. Of course, it’s nice when
relationships stay healthy and last, but that doesn’t mean
your failed relationships aren’t equally as important.
Some people you engage with will be like a mirror – people
who show you things that are holding you back, people
who show you the ways that don’t work, people who bring
your insecurities and misjudgments to your own attention
so you can change your life.
It’ these people – the ones who come into your life for a
short time and teach you a priceless lesson – that are
some of the most important people you will ever meet,
because they tear down your walls and smack you until
you’re wide awake.
Do you want to live with these people in your life forever?
No way – that would be way too painful! They come into
your life to shake you up, tear apart your ego, flip your
perspective, show you your obstacles, break your heart
and mind open so new rays of light can shine in, just to
reveal another layer of YOU to yourself, and then they
move on like they’re supposed to.
Take their lessons as gifts and be sure you move on too.
Your turn…

If you’ve checked your email anytime in the last
twenty years, you’ve likely been subjected to
appeals from mysterious foreign nationals
promising you money for nothing. Or, more
accurately, a whole lot of money for only a little of
yours — wired internationally to someone you
don’t know. Most of these scams involve you
supplying seed money, or disclosing confidential
data used to deplete your savings account. While
these cons are usually recognizable and safely
ignored, enough suckers are fooled to make the
effort profitable for the criminals who have no fear
of legal retribution. Fortunately, a new breed of
counterspy, the scam baiter, has risen to our
defense. Aware they can’t stop the legions of
online con men, these brave souls do their best to
waste as much of the scammer’s time and
resources as is humanly possible. The results are
often hilarious. Submitted for your approval are 10
clever and involved scam baiting operations. Be
sure to follow the source links if you can, because
the transcripts are too lengthy to publish in this
format.
10 Maryam Abacha Letters
Included because the online documentation of this
full-on runaround is so user-friendly it’s a great
introduction to scam baiting. Seriously, this guy
could have taken notes in law school. Fully color
coded email entries and annotated notes detail the
plan of, and correspondence with, Maryam Abacha,
wife of the late military head of State for Nigeria.
According to her unsolicited email to a total
stranger, she has $30 million in cash and needs to
get it out of the country but doesn’t trust her
family. She even includes hyperlinks from
BBC.com to bolster her credibility. However, our
scam baiter, Mr. “Dick Heyd” feigns interest and
begins “the game”, as he calls it. Heyd proceeds to
complicate a deal for a transfer of $20,000 from
him in exchange for ‘the
consignment’ (presumably the money), and he
claims to have already sent $7500 to a Mr. Mbeki
at Global Security in Amsterdam, who he believes
is in the employ of Ms. Abacha. (Ms. Abacha has no
idea who Mbeki is — Heyd made it up). The
preferred drop site is London (where Abacha
obviously has contacts), so Heyd fixates on
Amsterdam and won’t budge. Finally they relent,
but Mr. Heyd has security concerns. Appearing
spooked in emails and using a fellow scam baiter
in Amsterdam, he feigns travel to Amsterdam and
concocts a last minute cancellation of the
exchange, citing security protocols for him as the
CEO of Bovine Excreta Custom Manufacturing. Via
the fellow scam baiter in Amsterdam, he is able to
describe the very people sent to fetch him from
the hotel, since they were casing the lobby at the
prescribed time and making ‘massive amounts of
phone calls’. Heyd then plays Mbeki and Ms.
Abacha against one another and swears to never
work with Mbeki again or the deal’s off. The
annotated notes indicate the scammers are now
VERY confused, and they propose a new dropsite in
China with new contact John Kuma. Heyd agrees
but secretly emails Kuma with an offer of a 50/50
split and a Green Card for US citizenship. To top
things off, he also fakes an email from Mbeki
threatening Abacha, telling her to stop ruining his
scam. Ms. Abacha (and I’m sure her whole scam
gang) is now totally flummoxed, so Heyd slips her
Kuma’s incriminating email response to the offer of
US citizenship. Then he lets her know that Kuhn is
trying to have her bumped off, with an itemized
payment schedule for the assassins. After that,
there haven’t been any more emails from Ms.
Abacha. I’m worried for her…aren’t you? [ Source]
9 To Catch a Con Man
This scam baiting operation is unique in its scale—
backed by an American network news budget, full
camera team, and travel expense account,
investigative reporter Chris Hansen decides he
wants to follow a 419 scam all the way through,
and expose the criminals in this ‘faceless’ crime.
To do this, his team answers a lot of scam emails
and send seed money early in the conversations.
The scams are simple— the victim is promised
millions of dollars for helping someone supposedly
in need, but first the victim must pay thousands in
processing fees (and of course the millions never
arrive). Again, because Hansen sent money early
in his communications, several separate scammers
offer to do something they rarely do— agree to
meet him in person. So Hansen and his team fly to
London to meet their defrauders in public places,
local bars, and even hotel suites, filming the
confrontations in a fashion similar to his
groundbreaking “To Catch a Predator” series.
8 Painted Breast
“Prince” Joe Eboh, the purported chairman of the
“Nigerian Delta Development Commission
(NDDC)” promised millions to anyone who could
help him siphon off excess revenues from the late
head of state, General San Abacha (does he know
Abacha’s wife is trying to do the same thing?).
Using a familiar “church” theme, scam baiter
“Father Hector Barnett” responded to the email,
since he was looking to provide financial
assistance for new converts. Barnett spun a story
of how the ministry was founded in 1774 by Betsy
Carrington, who spent years spreading the holy
gospel to the Masai. In fact, they even initiated her
into “The Order of The Red Breast” via a ceremony
where she had to mark the top half of her nude
body with red paint as a gesture of faith. As a
result, she was immediately accepted, and
remained one of the most trusted westerners
known at that time. As a qualification to enter the
Holy Church of The Order of The Red Breast,
Barnett told Prince Eboh that all converts must
also complete the initiation that Miss Carrington
did. Barnett even included a photograph of four
young men going through the procedure. Eboh
predictably jumped at the chance and supplied a
photo of himself with a spray painted ‘9’ around
his nipple, and even sent $80 in processing fees
for the promised $18,000 (which has never been
sent). The $80 received (most likely stolen) was
later sent to a children’s charity in the north of
England. The email correspondence goes on to this
day, even through the traumatic death of Father
Barnett’s good friend Minny Mowse, his doomed
plans to spend church money exporting snow to
Siberia, and failed dreams of joining the circus.
Since then, Prince Joe Eboh rockin’ his ‘9’ has
become an icon in the scam baiting community.
[ Source]
7 Carve This
The primary goal of scam-baiting is to distract the
scammer so he can’t rip off anyone else. And that’s
what happened when scammer “F. Williams
Smith” from the “Special Committee for Budget
and Planning of the Ministry of Petroleum”
contacted scam baiter “Derek Trotter”. Smith
offered 25% of $10.5 million in exchange for an
“account in which the funds will be transferred.”
What he got instead was a carpentry assignment
from Mr. Trotter, who posed as an arts dealer.
Through clever emails and the promise of
$100,000, Trotter lured Mr. Smith into creating
elaborate wood carvings–some of which were
pretty good, and obviously took time to construct.
In the end, after weeks of paperwork,
disagreements over shipping fees, and the
untimely “death” of Derek Trotter, the deal fell
apart, and everyone parted ways. Later, scammer
“John Boko” also fell for the Derek Trotter
treatment and also submitted a wooden replica of
the sample figure. But due to “shipping shrinkage”
Trotter claimed the piece didn’t meet the agreed-
upon specifications and the submission was
refused. So Boko was given a second chance, only
this time he had to carve a replica of a Commodore
64. Which he did. [ Source]
6 Handwritten Harry
After offering millions of dollars for a few
thousands in advance, alleged attorney for “the
late President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”,
Barrister Mussa Issah, fell deep into the clutches of
mastermind “Arthur Dent.” Dent claimed that his
company was conducting a research project on
“Advanced Handwriting Recognition and
Graphology systems”, and offered Mr. Issah $100
per handwritten page of any text. Dent demanded
a strict minimum of 100 pages, and anything less
would be rejected outright. Issah fell hard, and
transcribed all 293 pages of “Harry Potter and the
Chamber of Secrets”, each page meticulously
handwritten. Sadly, the deal fell through for some
reason. [ Source]
5 Skeleton Coast
From July to August 2006, scam baiter “Troy
McClure” weaves a story of ready cash at the NASA
compound he cleans in Namibia. However, if the
money were to go missing, Troy would be the first
suspect. He needs a partner like Steven Okama–
the scammer–to come and get it. A month of
emails, Internet phone calls, and visits to a fake
web page keep Mr. Okama breathlessly engaged,
until the two decide to stash the money in a
watertight GPS-enabled cashbox on a deserted
beach. Okama’s brother-in-law, Tony, agrees to
pick up the money using online GPS coordinates
(from Troy’s fake website), and the pickup will be
confirmed when the online location of the cashbox
changes. Then Okama will deposit the money in a
South African bank account for dispersal. Tony
dutifully heads out to the beach and is horrified
when he discovers that the box is not there.
Okama is livid. Fortunately, Troy convinces them
that the box was swept out to sea and he’s
tracking its movement up the Namibian coast.
Okama keeps asking for money to hire a boat, and
begins complaining of medical problems that
prevent him from retrieving the box. Eventually,
the baiting loses steam as “Troy” plans to get the
money himself now that the box is out of Namibia.
And since Steven won’t spring for a boat, he’s cut
out of the heist. [ Source]
4 Mikel Bolton Loan Scam
This elaborate bait is as complete as it is lengthy,
and I confess to getting lost in places— which is
why it probably worked so well. The scam baiter
pretended to be “Calvin Huckle”, a naïve scam
victim just ready for the taking. The original goal
was to just run up a scammer’s long distance fees.
But then Huckle (and many of his other online
identities) came into contact with British banker
“Mikel Bolton”, who was willing to lend him up to
$150,000 without ever meeting him. Posing as a
fellow scam artist making a good living sending
fake checks, Huckle co-opted the scammer(s) into
contacting former 419 victims. Unbeknownst to
them, Huckle had the real victim’s permission to
assume their online identity for the duration of the
sting. Hollywood thrillers have nothing on this: the
counterscam involved a boggling 11 separate
storylines and several times Huckle contacted
other scam baiters by accident, but they agreed to
corroborate one another’s stories to the real
criminals. Luckily, during the operation, our hero
obtained a list of 86 intended victims, and he
notified each of the plans to defraud them. Of
course, some believed him, and others thought he
was running a scam (which is progress, I think).
[ Source]
3 Mark of Respect
Scammer Ahmed Sadiq first contacts scam baiter
“Lance Myboyle” for airfare money to Mecca.
However, Ahmed’s lie of attending Weister City
University in London quickly fails — mainly
because it doesn’t exist– and British citizen Lance
tells him so in no uncertain terms. Oddly, Ahmed is
unfazed and continues to ask for money. Their
discussions ferret out that Ahmed lives, not in
London, but Nigeria, and if he really needs money,
he should contact Father Bruce Corbin, of the
Church of the Tattooed Saint. Email exchanges
with Father Corbin inform the scammer that a
donation can only be made if Ahmed converts to
the church and gets a tattoo of the Order
somewhere on his body. I think you know where
this is going. After many emails, Ahmed gets a BIG
tattoo “Baited by Shiver” on his left leg (other
scammers have used their arms). Tragedy then
strikes, as Father Corbin passes away from a
Tribble infection, and Ahmed is passed between a
jive-talking pastor and a disgruntled ex-con
volunteer. However, Ahmed’s demands for money
continue unabated, even when he’s passed on to
an “Inspector Morse”, who is investigating
embezzlement by employees of the Church of the
Tattooed Saint. Ahmed even sends a laughably
fake passport to the Inspector, who insists on
releasing the “owed” funds only after proper
identification is presented. The baiting ends when
the gullible Ahmed suspects the Western Union
email receipt from Frank Sinatra of 221B Baker
Street looks a little “iffy”. Realizing he’s totally
busted, Ahmed first gets belligerent and then tries
to play on sympathy. But make no mistake– this
playa got played for four straight months, and
even has a sweet “tat” to show for it. [ Source]
2 Gold Scam
Who needs Chris Hansen and his NBC budget?
Scam-baiter “Jack Ophten” doesn’t— he got the
scammer to come to him! Ophten and his pals at
419hell love “being jerks to those who deserve it”,
and no one deserved it more that Frank Owusu,
who was using email spams to sell phony gold
dust. Ophten was able to convince the scammer
that he was a scammer, too, and needed help
defrauding his aged father-in-law. In emails and
phone calls, Ophten played the parts of fellow
scammer and scam victim for Owusu and his
partners in crime. Unbelievably, Ophten even
convinced Owusu to pay for his own travel from
Ghana to St. Louis, USA, to defraud Ophten’s
father-in-law. When finally confronted in the lobby
of the St. Louis Crown Plaza Hotel, Owusu bolted
like a spooked racehorse. Too bad he was in such a
hurry: he left his bag of real gold dust behind
(appraised value: $200). Ophten documented the
entire operation on both audio and videotape, and
did everything he could to include cybercrime law
enforcement. However, despite email death
threats from someone he’s met in person, the
Missouri state attorney’s office, the local sheriff,
and the FBI politely refused to get involved at any
point of the operation. [ Source]
1 Anus Laptops
The mother of all scam baiting operations has to
go to scam baiter “The Failure”, who may or may
not work in a New York computer shop. Too bad
scammer “Cole” didn’t know his intended victim
was a regular at www.scambaiter.com. What
happens over the next several weeks was
documented day-by-day online, and even involved
many of the website’s readers. It all started when
“Martin Cole” sent a fake check to buy some
laptops for shipment overseas. Failure’s alias
“Warren Turnbuckle” protested he could not ship
overseas without all freight fees paid, in cash, up
front. Since he was paying with a fake check
anyway, Cole sends the cash, but cunningly
overpays the $4000 bill with a $4500 check, and
asks Turnbuckle to refund him the $500
overpayment within 45 minutes of receiving the
check. Turnbuckle responds that he can’t cash the
check for 5-10 days, but will sell the laptops
anyway if Cole sends a shipping courier to pick
them up. Turnbuckle also promises to refund the
shipping costs once the check finally clears. Cole
bites, and agrees to pay for freight for several
“Anus” brand computers, arranging for UPS to pick
up them the very next day (far ahead of the check
bouncing). So Failure packed 7 large boxes with
garbage, dead CD ROM drives, and two trashed
laptops with “ANUS” scratched on the screen.
Estimated shipping charges totaled $3,186.67.
UPS was in on the sting, and agreed to not deliver
until Cole paid them for shipment. Scambaiter.com
readers wanted in on the joke as well, and when
the shipment was suspiciously diverted to
Manchester, UK, a reader posed as city worker
offering to fix Cole’s house as part of an urban
renewal project. Cole then proceeded to show the
“damages” he did to his own house after receiving
‘a bunch of rubbish in the post”. Photos, audio
recordings, shipping labels, and hilariously
incoherent death threats from the ‘governor’ and
the dreaded ‘Clique Mob’ can be found on a now-
classic thread that spans 80+ pages. NSFW, but
worth an hour’s reading all the same.

Coconuts have been making it big as a dietary
supplement, healthy beverage, and hipster-foodie
superstar ingredient. But these aren’t the only
things the “fruit of life” has been known for.
10 The Coconut IV
The humble coconut has many well-documented
health benefits when eaten, many of which have
been covered in numerous health publications, but
in this case, the advantage is far more direct.
As it turns out, coconut water is a workable short-
term substitute for human blood plasma and was
positively tested as emergency intravenous fluid
as far back as the ’50s. There’s been at least one
documented case where a coconut IV was used in
the Solomon Islands to treat a severely dehydrated
patient.
9 Used In World War I Gas Masks
World War I introduced the concept of large-scale
gas warfare, which made gas masks a necessity for
survival. Gas masks use carbon to scrub the air
clean, but not all carbon is created equal. Gas
mask manufacturers in the US developed the use
of steam-activated coconut char—obtained by
burning coconut husks—as an important
component in gas mask production. They found
that masks using coconut carbon were superior at
filtering noxious substances.
Even now, coconut-fired carbon is still an
important ingredient in cleaning up radiation and
was heavily used in the cleanup project at the
Fukushima nuclear plant.
8 Trained Coconut Monkeys
Palm trees are dangerous for humans to climb, and
it can be awkward trying to wrench a 10-pound
coconut free while holding on for dear life. That’s
why coconut farmers have enlisted some simian
specialists to do the dirty work for them.
In tropical countries like Sumatra, farmers train
monkeys to harvest their coconuts. Most farmers
control the beasts with a long leash, but some
monkeys are so well-trained they respond to their
owner’s voice. These animals are in such high
demand that they can fetch quite the penny.
7 The Coconut Palace
Not only is the coconut good eating, it’s also an
excellent building material. At least, that’s what
former President of the Philippines Ferdinand
Marcos thought when he commissioned the
Coconut Palace.
Seeking to impress Pope John Paul II during his
visit to the Philippines, Marcos ordered the opulent
structure built for the whopping sum of 37 million
pesos ($10 million). Seventy percent of this two-
story structure is built from coconut lumber. Other
assorted components of the coconut tree and fruit
are also incorporated into the decor and
architecture.
Did the Coconut Palace make an impression on the
Pope? Yes, but not the intended one. Pope John
Paul II judged the palace too pretentious and
flamboyant for his tastes (not to mention
irresponsible in the face of the country’s high
poverty rate), and he decided to stay elsewhere.
6 The Art Of The Coconut
Gifted artists can create beauty out of anything,
and the coconut is no exception. It’s been used as
a medium for sculptures both crude and intricate,
involving great levels of detail and skill. The
smooth, unbroken coconut shell also makes a
great canvas for festive paintings.
Coconuts are also an integral part of some tropical
folk dances and cultural performances. Take the
maglalatik, for instance, which is a dance
indigenous to the Philippines. It employs coconut
shell halves strapped to various parts of a male
performer’s body and used as makeshift drums.
5 Coco-Fuel
Coconuts are good fuel for the body, but did you
know that it’s also a planet-friendly fuel for
machinery? Biodiesel has been making the rounds
as a fossil fuel alternative, and coconut trees
happen to be one of the plants that can produce oil
in workable quantities. Not only that, but coconuts
can perform multiple roles: as a base substance,
an additive, or a direct substitute for petroleum
diesel.
This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise—the
earliest diesel engines ran on peanut oil.
4 Prehistorical Mapping With Coconut Trade
Routes
The stalwart coconut has been a key factor in the
growth and development of many human
civilizations. And now, scientists have discovered
just how large a part coconuts have played in trade
and migration.
There are more than 1,300 kinds of coconut, and
they can be separated into two main genetic
origins: the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. By
examining the coconuts’ genetic ancestry,
evolutionary biologist Kenneth Olsen and his team
have been able to trace the trade routes and
migratory paths of ancient human civilizations—all
the way to fairly recent times.
3 Coconut Vodka
No beach vacation is complete without a refreshing
coconut drink to help you kick back and relax. But
if you want to party, don’t count coconuts out just
yet.
In the Philippines, sap from an unopened coconut
flower is distilled into a potent drink called
lambanog. It’s powerful stuff (easily 80 to 90
proof) but is organic and chemical-free. Lambanog
is traditionally homemade, but some commercial
distilleries have introduced several flavors into the
market, such as mango, bubblegum, and
blueberry.
2 Coconut Armor
When we think “coconut armor,” the first image
that comes to mind is probably a hollowed-out
coconut husk used as a makeshift helmet. But
craftsmen in the small Micronesian archipelago of
Kiribati were far more clever than that.
Their coconut suit was made out of densely woven
coconut fiber matting—kind of like wearing really
thick carpet. The armor consisted of a cap, body
armor, back plate, leggings, and jerkin (a close-
fitting jacket). A high collar in the back protected
the warrior from stones thrown from his own side,
a primitive form of artillery support.
1 They’re A Pop Sensation
By now, you should realize that coconuts are quite
the popular fruit. In fact, they’ve been the
inspiration for quite a few music sensations. One
such song is “ Coconut” by Harry Nilsson, a quirky
and charming song that popped up in the early
’70s and quickly became a Billboard hit. After its
reign on the airwaves, the song made repeated
appearances in movies (Reservoir Dogs,
Confessions of A Shopaholic), television (The
Simpsons, House, Doogie Howser, M.D.), and
videogames (Alan Wake).

I'm the only one that can make don jazzy make a hit from Mavin records

Pls be serious for once

@spike, ok bros please how can i get a copy of the book.

@spike, how possible will that be, i have no understanding of programming if some1 can introduce me then i can carry on from there.

Hello Good people of nairaland, my name is femi, i reside in lagos,i started showing interest in computer and internet work 12years ago, i'm good in computer i even learn web design last year. But what i really want to learn is more than just a website design i want to know how to build website with coding and i also want to learn how to develop applications and softwares i really want to become a great programmer and app developer. I dnt have much one me as in Money because i still dey Hustle for street. But if you're really good at this package and willing to train me, my God will surely multiply you. Please anyone here is ready to offer me training should please drop contact.

Hello Good people of nairaland, my name is femi, i reside in lagos,i started showing interest in computer and internet work 12years ago, i'm good in computer i even learn web design last year. But what i really want to learn is more than just a website design i want to know how to build website with coding and i also want to learn how to develop applications and softwares i really want to become a great programmer and app developer. I dnt have much one me as in Money because i still dey Hustle for street. But if you're really good at this package and willing to train me, my God will surely multiply you. Please anyone here is ready to offer me training should please drop contact.

Hello Good people of nairaland, my name is femi, i reside in lagos,i started showing interest in computer and internet work 12years ago, i'm good in computer i even learn web design last year. But what i really want to learn is more than just a website design i want to know how to build website with coding and i also want to learn how to develop applications and softwares i really want to become a great programmer and app developer. I dnt have much one me as in Money because i still dey Hustle for street. But if you're really good at this package and willing to train me, my God will surely multiply you. Please anyone here is ready to offer me training should please drop contact.

Afrocandy is the best, she is a strong woman, none of u can put food on her table if she dnt go that way. May God continue to bless her.

I want to work in ur bakery where is it located and hw much do u pay ur intend workers. 08187583624

Hello my name is alfa Fadilat lukman Akorede, i am a spiritualist and Islamic prophet in Ikorodu Lagos. What do you really need? Do you want increase in your business/ market, Do you want Cure for any kind of Disease, Do you want to be more Richer, do you have a Husband or Wife problem? Any kind of Problem that you have just come down to Ikorodu here in Lagos and your Problems shall be Solved. CALL: 08075182901, 07085407096.

Hello my name is alfa Fadilat lukman Akorede, i am a spiritualist and Islamic prophet in Ikorodu Lagos. What do you really need? Do you want increase in your business/ market, Do you want Cure for any kind of Disease, Do you want to be more Richer, do you have a Husband or Wife problem? Any kind of Problem that you have just come down to Ikorodu here in Lagos and your Problems shall be Solved. CALL: 08075182901, 07085407096.

Hello my name is alfa Fadilat lukman Akorede, i am a spiritualist and Islamic prophet in Ikorodu Lagos. What do you really need? Do you want increase in your business/ market, Do you want Cure for any kind of Disease, Do you want to be more Richer, do you have a Husband or Wife problem? Any kind of Problem that you have just come down to Ikorodu here in Lagos and your Problems shall be Solved. CALL: 08075182901, 07085407096.

Na today i have even red 100 secret of success, at the end of the day no manifestation because of the wrong economy we find ourself,

alabiyemmy: Ten secrets of success.

1. How You Think is Everything.
Always be positive. Think Success, not Failure. Beware of a negative environment.
This trait has to be one of the most important in the entire list. Your belief that you can accomplish your goals has to be unwavering. The moment you say to yourself “I can’t…”, then you won’t. I was always given the advice “never say I can’t” and I’d like to strike those words from the dictionary.
I’ve found that from time-to-time my attitude waivers. A mentor of mine once said “it’s ok to visit pity city, but you can’t stay and there comes a time when you need to leave”. Positive things happen to positive people.

2. Decide upon Your True Dreams and Goals: Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach them.
Write down my dreams and goals? Develop a plan to reach them? You mean like a project plan? Yes, that’s exactly what this means. You may have heard the old adage: A New Years resolution that isn’t written down is just a dream, and dreams are not goals.
Goals are those concrete, measurable stepping stones of achievement that track your progress towards your dreams. My goal is to start a second career as a freelance writer – what are your goals?

3. Take Action. Goals are nothing without action.
Be like Nike and “Just do it”. I took action by reaching out and started writing. Every day I try to take some action towards my goals. It may be small, but it’s still an action. Have you taken action towards your goals?

4. Never Stop Learning: Go back to school or read books. Get training & acquire skills.
Becoming a life long learner would benefit us all and is something we should instill in our kids. It’s funny that once you’re out of school you realize how enjoyable learning can be. What have you learned today?

5. Be Persistent and Work Hard: Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up.
I think every story of success I read entails long hard hours of work. There is no getting around this and there is no free lunch. But, if you’re working towards something that you’re passionate about, something you love – then is it really work?

6. Learn to Analyze Details: Get all the facts, all the input. Learn from your mistakes.
I think you have to strike a balance between getting all the facts and making a decision with incomplete data – both are traits of successful people. Spend time gathering details, but don’t catch ‘analysis paralysis’.

7. Focus Your Time And Money: Don’t let other people or things distract you.
Remain laser focused on your goals and surround yourself with positive people that believe in you. Don’t be distracted by the naysayer’s or tasks that are not helping you achieve your goals.

8. Don’t Be Afraid To Innovate: Be different. Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity.
Follow through on that break-out idea you have. Ask yourself “What would I do if I wasn’t afraid?”

9. Deal And Communicate With People Effectively: No person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate others.
Successful people develop and nurture a network and they only do that by treating people openly, fairly and many times firmly. There is nothing wrong about being firm – just don’t cross the a-hole line. How do you deal with people?

10. Be Honest And Dependable: Take responsibility, otherwise numbers 1 – 9 won’t matter.
Enough said.

http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/10-secrets-to-success/

My name is femi i'm a talented singer i do R&B/ hiphop, i start writing music since i was 17 and now am 24, with nothing to show for it. I want to break into the entertainment industry i have all that it takes to become a mega star but no platform for me to show my skills. I work in a factory the little i get as my salary is wath i spend in feeding and taking care of myself since i lost my mum 12years ago, and things are not okay with my dad. Please people what advise do u have, should i quite music since i don't have the money required for production and promotion, or still keep hope for an opportunity to hook up with a record label/sponsor, Please nigerians help me.

My name is femi i'm a talented singer i do R&B/ hiphop, i start writing music since i was 17 and now am 24, with nothing to show for it. I want to break into the entertainment industry i have all that it takes to become a mega star but no platform for me to show my skills. I work in a factory the little i get as my salary is wath i spend in feeding and taking care of myself since i lost my mum 12years ago, and things are not okay with my dad. Please people what advise do u have, should i quite music since i don't have the money required for production and promotion, or still keep hope for an opportunity to hook up with a record label/sponsor, Please nigerians help me.

Am intrested pls send me the details to my email: femojeactive@gmail.com

I knw where slot dey buy phones here in lagos, infact i work there, its a foreign company anyway. So with that i cn't buy phone frm slot, i prefer london used show glass phone at computer vil.

Hello my name is alfa Fadilat lukman Akorede, i am a spiritualist and Islamic prophet in Ikorodu Lagos. What do you really need? Do you want increase in your business/ market, Do you want Cure for any kind of Disease, Do you want to be more Richer, do you have a Husband or Wife problem? Any kind of Problem that you have just come down to Ikorodu here in Lagos and your Problems shall be Solved. CALL: 08075182901, 07085407096.