Gary North has written what I think is the best thing I've read on Bitcoin in quite a while. Please refer to: Is Bitcoin a Ponzi Scheme? I've spoken and written a lot about Bitcoin. I think the most popular was: The Bashful Bitcoin Numismatist. And I've even been on WHDT TV interviewed about the subject: Bitcoin Not a Feasible Currency. Well, for the first time in a few months, I finally had a crerative inspiration. This "art" is everything I think I could possibly say about Bitcoin in one image. You know, they say that a "Picture speaks a thousand words..." I made this and must give all credit and apologise to the Sex Pistols. Here is my last comment on the Bitcoin subject. This says everything I want to say:
Updates below Do you ever use Linkedin? I do, but not a lot. Recently though, I've been gettings tons of mails from Linkedin saying that, "this person" or "that person" had recommended you on Linkedin. What a hassle! Why are people I don't really even know recommending me? What's going on? Is this an effort to get more people to go look at Linkedin more often? If it is, it's lame. I've written what I think about Linkedin before here in "How to Make Six Figures a Year From Your Linkedin Account" where I wrote: Do you know what Linkedin is? Linkedin is a great place where you can connect with people you don't know or care about and brag about stuff that doesn't really matter. It's kind of like going to a high school reunion where everyone who thought they were hot stuff in school tries to impress everyone else that they arestill hot stuff even though they now work part-time as a plumber or are on food stamps!... I been wondering exactly what the purpose of Linkedin is anyway? I mean, if it is a site to look for a job then that's cool, but what's the point of posting your bio on Linkedin if the only other people who are going to see it are also out of a job and looking for one too? .... Is Linkedin merely a place for unemployed men to be bragging to other unemployed men? Anyhow, I get these Linkedin notices all the time now. I hate it. But today I clicked on one and read this excellent article about how to identify scam artists on Linkedin. I read the article (It's really good - recommended!) and then returned to Linkedin.
I also saw this! What I saw at the top of the page made me laugh! What timing! Check it out. As soon as I saw it, the little devil horns at the sides of my head started to stick out. I thought, "These guys are extremely fishy!" Here it is:
That's funny! There's so much wrong with this that I don't know where to begin! First off, a $5.5 trillion dollar industry? Is that so? Did you know that $5.5 Trillion dollars is almost the size (or even more than, according to the U.N.) than the entire GDP of the world's third largest economy, Japan, for all of 2011... Almost as much as China's? Wow! That's some industry, eh? But what does industry size have to do with this un-named business? Can I start a mom & pop hamburger shop and say, "I'm now a part of a $30 trillion dollar (food) industry?" I can? OK. So it's not exactly a fib... But not exactly an honest way to sell a story. Besides that, there's so much else wrong with this one paragraph that I don't really know where to turn next!
So, I'll let the hilarity begin by showing you the entire thread between me and these two guys who, while probably very nice guys, sure are stretching facts and most probably not exactly the most reputable folks you'd want to deal with... I certainly wouldn't buy a used car from Joseph! But hey! You be the judge...Are these guys just confused? Big BS'ers or scam artists?...
Read on and you decide!
OK. I'm a little mean (I did say the devil horns were sticking out of my head)... I didn't show it here but some other naive guy had answered this foolish post and said he wanted details! Suckers! There's one born every minute, they say! I don't show his post because I want to protect his identity and not allow all scam artists to know where they can find a big fish. But then I realized that this initial post was from over 2 weeks before and they had only gotten one response. Gee, ya thunk that's a failure in marketing? I added:
Chuckling, I left it at that. You gotta realize that if you post something about such a grand business opportunity in such a huge business and you only get one response from Zairbambwe, then you are definitely doing it wrong. It gets worse. Joseph got mad and wrote back to me which made my devil horns grow even larger... His partner jumps in too. Read this:
Thanks to Johnnie and the magic of the "internets" I was able to, within 15 seconds, determine the name of the company they were probably talking about. It looks like a company called, "ACN."
Something still felt wrong." I also did some checking about ACN. I searched, "ACN scam" here's what I found.... There's over 1 million results on a Google search of "ACN scam." This one stuck out the most:
I signed up with ACN about a year ago, lost my job was trying to look for steady income and tried something I've never done before.. As many of you know to join you need to pay $500.00, plus you have to get qualified with a ordered services which will give you the points. I got my "revolutionary" video phone for total price of little over $200..00, I got mypersonal page for 29/.99 a month, which I "really needed" to control and monitor for cash flow (as I was told by my sponsor) Total I had 3 points for about $68'.00 a month, but that wasn't enough to be qualified ACN rep|. I was looking for another 2 points to Qualify,. I was on the contract with Sprint, decided to brake it, paid early termination fees, (for which I'm not putting any blame on anybody) and signed up with AT&T through ACN WIRELESS to complete my points!. After I got approved and received my phone I was very disappointed as my phone was refurbished and had some of previous owner information in it:. I called ACN WIRELESS to complain, and I was "politely" told that if I want to exchange this phone, first I have to send my phone and wait for another to arrive which they didn't have in the stock at that moment.. I'm using my cellphone daily and couldn't afford not to have it for couple of days, so I agreed to keep it. The problems started in 60 days when my phone started to freeze, I don't want to go through all nightmare with ACN WIRELESS eventually I had to cancel my contract with AT&T and paid them 200.00 termination fees. I was happy that is over.. BUT IT WASN'T! Almost a year after, last week, I received a collection notice from ACN WIRELESS that I owe them $200.00 additional fees for braking my contract with ACN WIRELESS! Is it a JOKE?! Why this scam still continues? Anybody PLEASE STOP THIS RIP OFF! We are all trying to survive in this wickeconomy, and companies like ACN with their services pulling us down dipper in debts!
Awright! Another satisfied customer! Thank you sir, may I have another? Also read this and see more information about the complaints against and money making prospects of ACN. They don't look too good: http://www.mlmeo.com/acn/scam.php... (PS: In Japan, MLM is only allowed to the 3rd generation, not the seventh! So ACN's plan has big hurdles in Japan if they ever launch here.) Wow! Anyway, with a bit of knowledge, I went back and decided to see how these guys would react. Joseph's response was hilarious! I decided to goad him on. Check it:
"I'll send you a bill for services later!?" Chuckle. I then did an investigative research job on ACN itself and found that, while what Joseph said about a "$5.5 trillion dollar industry..." and that "..you (meaning me) are already a customer..." wasn't exactly the whole truth, it is definitely an example of dishonest and misleading information. It would be called "twisting" if this were according to SEC rules. Meaning it is dishonest.... Well, we could already tell that Joseph has a "big mouth" and, well, isn't the most forth-coming and up-front person you'd ever want to meet. I certainly wouldn't buy a car from him... Nor would I allow him in my house....
So Joseph gets caught in what I think most people might call a lie.... I added:
So are Joseph and Johnnie big BSers? Probably. Especially Joseph. At least Johnnie is smart enough to keep his cool. Joseph can't probably because he can't "use ur brain." Or maybe his English is so tortured from texting back and forth with underaged girls! Chuckle!
After this I wrote to Johnnie a few times (Joseph basically disappeared and ran away) and asked for his comment about Joseph's outrageous claims. Johnnie skirted the issue and wouldn't answer my quieries. He kept changing the subject.
Above, you can see that Joseph claims to be retired at 35. But a look at his online profile shows that he lists his job as "Regional Director.
He tried this recruiting scheme on another Linkedin group where he listed his job description. I commented there:
"Hey! Wait a minute! You just told me you were retired at 35! Now you say you are management recruiter. Which is it, Joseph? Are you retired or not?" He hasn't bothered to respond.
Is ACN a scam? Well the TV news seems to think so. Are Joseph and Johnnie scam artists? I don't know. It's up to you to decide.... One thing I can say is that they are crap at writing catch copy, recruiting people and extremely dodgy in the honesty department...
If you wish to do business with these folks, be my guest. You've been forewarned.
Your investigative reporter, me! Good night! Your comments welcomed.... Especially if you've dealt with ACN!
This video will drop your jaw! Big Shot ACN salesmen who pleaded guilty in federal court for drug trafficking? Wow!
The data on the above video says, "Think ACN isn't a scam?? The state of Montana doesn't think so. 300 reps signed up in 2009 and ACN only paid out less than $900 among them (and don't tell me that they didn't work hard enough or were lazy or didn't follow the system...that's a stupid excuse since at
least 1 of the 300 would've worked hard and did what they were told to do)"
UPDATE! One of the commentators of the above video wrote:
"Folks, ACN Gravy train left the building 17 years ago just when it first started. The first few IBO are only ones who could have made some money (if you do the math). People don't make money anymore. If you need proof, go to acncanada.ca click "earning statement" link bottom right. (Canadian law force them to state average earnings). When you stop recruiting, the money stops. Residual income will only cover half of yearly renewal fees."
Is this true? OK. Let's check. Here is a screen capture of the link at http://www.acncanada.ca/#. At the very bottom right it says "Earning statement." I click that and this is what appeared:
Average earnings of $500 a year? When it costs $500 just to join and well over that to run the business? I don't know about you but I think if you go to a "Sales meeting" and you hear the words, "Upline," "Downline," or "ACN" you'd better run like hell and not look back.
The following describes a government action that has been resolved by either a settlement or a decision by a court or administrative agency. If the matter is being appealed, it will be noted below.
On October 8, 2010 the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance and ACN, Inc., a direct seller of telecommunications services, announced their resolution of an action alleging that the company was operating in violation of the Montana Securities Act.
Earlier this year, the Commissioner's Office filed an action alleging that the company was in violation of the code that regulates multi-level distribution companies in Montana. In the course of the Commissioner's Office's investigation, the Commissioner determined that the actions giving rise to the Commissioner's concerns were not part of the ACN business model, but were taking place by ACN's independent representatives working in Montana.
In a joint effort to protect Montana citizens, the Commissioner and ACN have agreed that ACN will implement additional training with its independent representatives, to assist them in better understanding their responsibilities as ACN independent representatives. ACN will also contact its Montana video phone customers to assist them with installation of their service and continued technical assistance.
Both the Commissioner and ACN are pleased with this positive outcome, and the Commissioner's efforts to protect Montana residents.
The Bureau of Consumer Services in Pennsylvania got complaints about "slamming" - switching to different provider without consent, and "cramming" (overcharging).
At 2004 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) investigated the Australian Communications Network Pty Ltd (Australian ACN). Alleged breach of Trade Practices Act from 1974. At 2005 ACN Justice Selway judged that australian ACN attempted to induce people to take part in a pyramid selling scheme. But federal court appeal reversed decision and ruled that "recruitment payments" did not fall under the definitions of the law. ACCC appealed, The High Court of Australia refused the ACCC's appeal.
SAS ACN Communications France was said to be gulity of misleading advertising by the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris at 2007 and ordered to pay 15,000 euros.
ACN complained against Pacific Bell at 1997 for violating 202(a) and 252(i) of the Communications Act, 47 U.S.C. 202(a) and 252(i).
UPDATE #2: Now Joseph threatens me with physical violence (along with his bastardized English):
This guy has to be the perfect poster boy for this company. What a great representative. How inspiring!
The objections of tens of thousands of scientists goes ignored as the global warming hoax is being used to squander $45 trillion from the masses.
If you have any doubt about the global warming hoax or somehow have been deceived by the corporate media into believing that the verdict is out on climate change the open letter below should clear up the subject.
While you may not buy into the premise of massive global conspiracies, just like the LIBOR rigging scandal, this one is real and the hoax has been repeatedly disproved.
Point being, is this isn’t some crackpot conspiracy that can’t be substantiated and instead is accepted by critical thinkers who are skeptical of anything that isn’t supported by facts and scientific data to back it up and even they accept it.
So here’s the highlights for those who don’t like long reads:
LIE: Media outlets repeatedly parroted statements politicians’ statements from governments worldwide claiming 4,000 IPCC scientists appointed from nearly every government on the globe had agreed that human’s were influencing climate change.
TRUTH: 80% of IPCC members weren’t even scientists. Those that were received their funding from governments who wanted certain findings. Reports from IPCC scientists who submitted results contrary to the expect outcome did not have their work accepted. Of that only Fifty-three authors and five reviewers are all that can be said to explicitly support the claim of a significant human influence on climate and even those people made their claim of support based on research of other IPCC scientists which had been altered and manipulated.
LIE: The mainstream scientific consensus, including that of the 4,000 IPCC scientist had agreed. “The evidence was in the global warming debate was over and it has been confirmed to be due to the man-made causes”
Truth: The views of those few author and viewers is disputed by Tens of Thousands of reputable mainstream scientists who turned activist in objection to the IPCC’s junk science only to be entirely disregarded.
The article goes into much more detail, like the purposeful omission of temperatures doing he medieval period which showed global temperatures much higher than they are now, how corporate media news outlets pressured reporters not write anything that was was critical of the consensus of the scientific community, how global ocean temperatures were excluded even thought they showed cooling, how a clique of scientists prevented anything contrary to ‘concensus’ from achieving peer-reviewed status, how satellite data was ignored and much more.
It also delves into who suffers – the global consumers who are being squandered for $45,000,000,000,000 dollars – and who benefits – the carbon traders who are becoming billionaires of the hoax that is destroying economies around the globe.
To read the complete report, click here (if that link doesn't work, use this: http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/2012/08/23/squandering-45-trillion-imaginary-threat-174051/) What have I been telling you? If the mass media tells you to panic then it's a sure sign of sensationalism designed to sell ad space and promote propaganda.
Nevertheless, check this asinine marketing promotion out. This is a promotion for a new TV station in Belgium. How in the world this crap promotion got a few million views is astounding.
The Youtube page says,
To launch the high quality TV channel TNT in Belgium we placed a big red push button on an average Flemish square of an average Flemish town. A sign with the text "Push to add drama" invited people to use the button. And then we waited... Discover here what happened or visit http://www.tnt-tv.be for more info.
In Japan, we say, ”ヤらせ” (yarase) which translates into "fake." This is fake from the first person who even pressed the button. I don't believe for a second that anyone who pressed the button wasn't a part of the promotion.
Like I said, this TV is an insult to your intelligence... 80% of everything on TV is fake.... The other 20% are commercials....
Look at those people in the square with their bikes.... There's not a person around who believes what they are seeing is real..... Damn! I'd sure hate being the people who have been paid to sit in a room and click the "view" button on Youtube to obtain a few million views.
"Facebook says, 'Privacy is theft,' because they're selling your lack of privacy to the advertisers who might show up one day." - Jaron Lanier
Well, the articles that will make one really want to start thinking about deleting their Facebook account are coming hard and fast. This time, a married woman finds out her husband has another wife through Facebook!
The same thing happened in the sixties! Just that word got out a different way.
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Facebook's automatic efforts to connect user through "friends" they may know recently led two Washington women to find out they were married to the same man, at the same time.
That led to the man, corrections officer Alan L. O'Neill, being slapped with bigamy charges.
According to charging documents filed Thursday, O'Neill married a woman in 2001, moved out in 2009, changed his name and remarried without divorcing her. The first wife first noticed O'Neill had moved on to another woman when Facebook suggested the friendship connection to wife No. 2 under the "People You May Know" feature.
"Wife No. 1 went to wife No. 2's page and saw a picture of her and her husband with a wedding cake," said Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist told The Associated Press.
If that were my spouse? Why, yes! I would politely inquire what this was all about!
Wife No. 1 then called the defendant's mother.
"An hour later the defendant arrived at (Wife No. 1's) apartment, and she asked him several times if they were divorced," court records show. "The defendant said, 'No, we are still married.'"
Neither O'Neill nor his first wife had filed for divorce, according to charging documents. The name change came in December, and later that month he married his second wife.
O'Neill allegedly told Wife No. 1 not to tell anybody about his dual marriages, that he would fix it, the documents state. But wife No. 1 alerted authorities.
"Facebook is now some place where people discover things about each other that end up reporting that to law enforcement," Lindquist said.
O'Neill, 41, was previously known at Alan Fulk. He has worked as a Pierce County corrections officer for five years, sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said. He was placed on administrative leave after prosecutors charged him Thursday. He could face up to a year in jail if convicted.
His name is Alan Fulk? Well, I guess he Fulked up! Yuk! Yuk! Yuk!
Junior high school grade jokes aside, I think one year in jail is far too severe. This guy obviously has some sort of mental problem as one has to wonder, "Why in the world would he want two wives? Isn't one enough trouble as it is?" As Jerry Lee Lewis would counter: "Well, since I wasn't really married to my first wife then I didn't need a divorce!" Or some sort of twisted logic like that...
Seriously, I predict that something is going to come along that is like Facebook excepting it is more protective of your privacy (a friend recommended "Anonymousbook") and also really confines who your "friends" can be.
Another rip off of the gullible public has been perpetrated. 70 million viewers to the Invisible Children video. Millions of dollars donated. Now the truth comes out: KONY 2012 is just another cash-in like all the rest.
Six million people have died in the last decade in the Democratic Republic of Congo... But we don't hear about that! Why? The USA benefits from the proxy war in Congo. And Congo doesn't have resources we want.
The information I received this morning seems to confirm these suspicions. This part really sticks out:
Base salary for Invisible Children exec is about $85, 0000. When allowances and bonuses are added, these guys make over $160,000 a year...
...Is the Money you donate to Invisible Children and Kony2012 being given to the United States Government to capture Kony? Off course Not. Will the Money be sent to Africa to Help the African Poor People? Yes only only less than 10%. So what will Invisible Children do with the rest of the 90% of your money? Yes Think About it!
Here is the full text of the message I received.
Invisible Children Inc is a scam. 'Stop Kony 2012' is a scam too. Many people are upset at how Invisible Children Inc has been using the Joseph Kony Saga to cause sensationalism, create a way to collect more donations and enrich themselves.
The more money they collect, the more they pay themselves hefty bonuses. Base salary for Invisible Children exec is about $85, 0000. When allowances and bonuses are added, these guys make over $160,000 a year. Just think what this money they lavish themselves with, could do for the people in Africa for whom they claim to be collecting donations for.
Invisible Children Inc does NOT have an Independent and external Auditor. Their Financial Statements as submitted to the Charity Navigator web site cannot be independently verified. It should be assumed to be a cooked financial statement since it was submitted by their in house Auditor and can not be substantiated by a third party.
Invisible Children Inc Executives have retained expensive Lawyers and in the past have been threatening libel suits to any one who dares to question their financial operations or their ethical legitimacy. They have also used your donation money to hire expensive Washington lobbyists to influence policies to suit their objectives. There close social relationships with African Oppressive regimes have also ensured that they have been protected and shrouded in biased and lopsided misinformation for years.
For the last 2 years less than 10% of funds collected by Invisible Children are sent to the Ground to help the Ugandan Children. Previous to that, less than 30% of the money they collected was sent to Uganda to help the Ugandan People. A preliminary survey of all projects and activity on the Ground in Uganda to help the Uganda Children does not even total up to $1.5 Million of the $13 Million they have collected in donations so far.
Before Invisible Children Inc started, the Executive directors where Media arts students who went to Africa to look for project to farther their careers. They first went to Southern Sudan on a hit and miss venture and by just by chance they went farther south and stumbled upon the conflict in Northern Uganda. Since then they have capitalized on the Uganda -Joseph Kony War to spear head their media, film and music careers. They have also become stinky rich and drive in fancy cars and live in fancy houses with your donation money.
Now in2012, Invisible Children has created this STOP Kony 2012 video to mislead people to collect money to help catch Joseph Kony? The LRA Joseph Kony war, talked about in their video has ended over 3 years ago. Joseph Kony has Not been seen or heard from, for the last two years and is actually believed to be dead. The United Nations however has reported that villages in Central Africa have recently been raided and people killed by thugs believed to be the LRA soldiers of Joseph Kony.
What many people do not kow, is that over 5 months ago, the USA Government had already sent 100 combat marine soldiers to Uganda and Central Africa to catch Joseph Kony. These Marines are co-coordinating their efforts with the armies of Uganda, DR Congo, South Sudan, and Central African Republic in an effort to Catch Kony. How is the Money you donate going to be used help catch Joseph Kony? Does Invisible Children have an Army in Africa that they are collecting this money to equip for a mission to catch kony? On invisible children's donate website, they write that; "To bring home Joseph Kony’s child soldiers, it will take an army of individuals making a monthly commitment through TRI contributions" Is the Money you donate to Invisible Children and Kony2012 being given to the United States Government to capture Kony? Off course Not. Will the Money be sent to Africa to Help the African Poor People? Yes only only less than 10%. So what will Invisible Children do with the rest of the 90% of your money? Yes Think About it!
If you desire more information, Google search: KONY2012-IS-A-SCAM
Yes. Think about it. Another frickin' scam and millions of stupid people are falling for it.
"A cheap holiday in other people' misery" indeed... A very nice expensive (but cheap for the execs of KONY 2012) in other people's misery and on other people's dime.
