The Mailbag.
As a blogger, I am painfully aware of the problem with comment spam. Fortunately, the automatic shields catch most of it, so that a little bit of regular housekeeping prevents any of it from seeing the light of day. I’m happy to say that I don’t get very much email spam (knock wood), but the other day I received a particularly wacky email.
It was addressed to me, and it came from a sender named “Lanfier Riles.†(huh?) I don’t know anyone with that name, so I opened the email (but not the jpg attachment that came with it). I cannot imagine anyone free of a psychotropic preparation writing such a paragraph. Then again, maybe a well-prescribed pharmaceutical would help.
Here is exactly what it said:
N Blauendorf is going there also; only yesterday he bade good-by to us.We scatter through the world; but, till we meet again? For I should be in despair were I to lose an acquaintance so precious and dear to me as yours is.” Ah, how indifferent it was to Darvid whether he should keep or lose acquaintance with Prince Zeno. He saw and recognized in the man many fine and agreeable qualities, but he would rather not see him, just as he would rather not see others. All seemed strange to him and distant. Conversation, even with the most agreeable and worthy, both wearied and annoyed him. “What do you want of so many people, father? Do you love them? Do they love you?” One thought now devoured him. That “poor Kranitski” had left the city to live on his estate permanently, or rather in his poor village, situated in that same district as Krynichna, not very near, but in the same region. Of course, he will be a frequent guest at Krynichna–but, maybe not; even, surely not. Indeed, she had broken with him, and, in truth, she felt immense shame and pain–he laughed. A penitent Magdalen! He finished with the thought: Unhappy woman! But what more had he to do that day? Ah! he had an appointment to meet that young sculptor at the cemetery toward evening, and agree on a monument for Cara. That was to be a mon
My question: Is Kranitiski to be pitied or reviled? Discuss.
Plainly, Kranitiski has opted to become a non-entity, and thus is to be neither pitied nor reviled.
As for the jpg, a number of possibilities come to mind — none of them good for you. Even opening the email was a dicey proposition, quite frankly. It isn’t a question of whether you’re being paranoid, but if you’re being paranoid enough.
Comment by Dave Merriman — August 17, 2009 @ 9:47 pm
What about poor Prince Zeno, dismissed in such a cold fashion and never heard from again? I weep, o how I weep for such infamy.
Speaking of infamy, did you see the post Joan of Argh dedicated to you, vis a vis Big Reptiles? 🙂
Comment by LeeAnn — August 17, 2009 @ 11:34 pm
this guy is smart to go off to live on the estate and leave the poor behind, bleh..
Comment by sinister linda — August 18, 2009 @ 1:22 pm
Thanks for the post. I was wondering where that deadbeat Kranitiski went off to. He still owes me money!
Comment by Dan — August 18, 2009 @ 5:19 pm
The anonymous bullshitters are getting better at their anonymous BS, the bastards! Pretty soon you won’t be able to tell a real idiot from a fake idiot!
Comment by Eric Scheie — August 19, 2009 @ 4:37 pm
Don’t know much about Kranitiski, but what I do know is, when you open e-mails of this nature, they deposit a virus on your laptop that makes your dick shrivel up and fall off.
How do I know this? I read it on the Internet…
Comment by Elisson — August 19, 2009 @ 6:24 pm