Why Scam People Via Dating?

We live in an era now these days where we use the Internet for many things. Finding relationships is a common thing considering there's Tinder, Match and many other dating sites. We have tons of stories that end real nice. Then there's ones that are nightmares and it ends in money lost. So why does this happen? Why do people want to rip others off?

People get sucked up into the dream of finally being with the one like. There's lots of others that don't realize it and they get conned, losing thousands of dollars in the process. It may start with something small, then it escalates to higher and higher numbers before the con artist is done with them. Psychologically, this can leave the victim scarred for a good while or long time. Recovering what is lost may not always be possible.

Looking up information, it's easy to fall prey to this stuff. Preferably going to some other site as dating sites are cracking down on stopping scammers. Broken English is another easy thing to recognize. Saying they love you very quickly is another thing. There's a few other things that go into this. But the bottom line is that many get hurt. There are stories of some losing hundreds of thousands. Some lose even a million. 

Internet scams are common, but this is a growing epidemic. The fact that the FTC and FBI have articles on this says a lot. And they want you to file complaints, which is a good thing. Don't be afraid to file complaints to the FBI if you have been scammed. Those criminals deserve justice. And if you're having optimism and if things move very quickly, be cautious. When things seem too fishy, stop communicating. Block the person and ensure they can't talk to you. If you can avoid the obvious signs of a scam, you will save yourself the heartbreak and not be broke. Finding someone would be nice, but being careful is a lot more better than rushing though and getting scammed.

YouTube Videos: Dec 21-27

Marathons for TV

Especially around this part of the year, we see a lot of marathons for various movies and to a lesser extent, television shows that air for nonstop hours. It's quick ad it's a ratings grabber for a network who is putting up with more than five hours worth of  the same thing over and over. When you look at Christmas, it's clear a lot of channels do it.

It all starts with A Christmas Story. The film started to get attraction with airings during the 90s. Then in 1997, TNT started the 24 hour marathon of the film. That gets ratings, but with that mind, the landscape has changed a bit from what it was 21 years ago. Now, it's on both TNT and TBS, as a lot of networks will lump one program onto multiple channels. Turner and Viacom do this a lot. Anyway, other networks have done marathons similar to Christmas Story. FX has done it multiple movies. So has AMC, Freeform. The list goes on.

Outside of Christmas, there might be something around Thanksgiving or July 4th for a few networks. AMC is the only one now these days that airs The Godfather trilogy, and they do that around Thanksgiving just about every year. They are very long movies, but they are also beloved (the third not so much, but still) and it's something that the network can get ratings on due to rare airings and maybe not finding it on DVD or Blu-Ray.

Television shows have marathons more than movies. Ion does this a lot with various crime shows for a specific day. USA is very guilty of this with the constant marathons of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and NCIS. The way they treat other syndicated shows they have like Modern Family is downright embarrassing. But unfortunately, they get ratings, and other shows don't get the special treatment as the two. A shame, really. You don't see it with comedy shows. WGN is like this a little bit with M*A*S*H and Last Man Standing, but it's not too bad compared to dramas. Comedy Central loves The Office quite a bit, but it's usually weekends if they pick the show that they air it constantly during a part of the day.

These shows cost money to get and if costs weren't a factor, I would spice it up a bit with various shows instead of four hour airings of certain shows. For holidays, grin and bear it. It's not the worst thing in the world, even though it gets repetitive sometimes. For television shows, not much you can do. Complaining to the networks will not help you at all.

Why Cheat in Relationships?

In the last two weeks, I have been exchanging emails with a 29 year old woman who lives in Russia. She has been rather open with her life and the only relationship she has had with a guy. Ultimately, she got cheated on as he was with another woman. It upset her pretty badly.

I explained to her that some people cheat because they get tired of being around the same person for a long time. Here's I view it here. If you're in it for a long term relationship, then you have to deal with one person for good unless it's one of those polygamy relationships. I also explained to her about some people wanting someone better over who they are currently with. My view on that is that one will only make this a lot worse and cause a lot of tension and end it on a very sour note.

This can happen to both women and men. Bear that in mind. If people really wanted to be out of a relationship, they should say so bluntly. That way, it doesn't hurt much for both. If anything, they could be friends and that's it. Being on good terms is far braver than just causing more trouble and making things look worse on your part. If you're looking to cheat, don't. You will only have regret and it will make finding another person a lot more difficult and the possible what if's of being someone that could have been the one.

Aladdin Remake Outrage

Nostalgia is a two way street. Some might be excited for a fresh experience. Others will swear by the original of a TV show, film, or video game. Anything, really. The live action Aladdin that comes out next year got its first photos shown and the reaction was less than thrilling.

There are few complaints here and there for some, but the biggest I'm looking at is over the Genie. Obviously, it's one of the most iconic characters in Disney's run of adaptations and it's animated 1992 feature was done by the late Robin Williams. His performance was legendary and paved the way studios looked at animated films with celebrities. Will Smith plays the live action version and the complaints are so stupid. I think people are getting very high hopes up and then being disappointed. Very disappointed.

I'm not expecting this adaptation to be identical scene for scene like the animated one. Nostalgia is very powerful here and the comparisons to Williams will be there for Smith. He's not really a comedy guy despite how well loved The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is to this day. Most of his stuff since 1996 has been action and dramas. We are too quick to judge on these first photos, which show Smith without any blue on his body. It doesn't come out until the end of May and the fact that he had to assure people that it will be a blue character shows the amount of impatience over how the character is.

Until a full trailer trailer comes out and the film is properly edited, this is a pure overreaction. The animated Aladdin is my favorite classic Disney animated film, but I'm not going in expecting this to be similar as I said earlier. Let's wait and see. It's just a movie character. Not a big deal unless they royally screwed it up.

YouTube Videos: Dec 14-20

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 6

No Tumblr Adult Activity For You!

Over the past year, adult stuff has been disappearing. Craigslist got rid of personals after a new bill went into effect with the efforts to stop sex trafficking. Tumblr has decided to put an effort to curb adult content and in the last two weeks, it's been met with negative results. Let's just say with no pun intended, people are upset about it and are looking to other sites, even though it's not entirely an adult site.

Unless I'm mistaken, this is Tumblr themselves doing this. There are sites that have their more innocent stuff. Innocent enough where it isn't explicit. Then there is the adult sections, which give warnings that it's very adult. Pornography is one of those things that has been combated over the years. It's typically frowned upon and certain materials is a huge no that leads to suspects getting arrested. What I see Tumblr doing is trying to not get rid of all their adult stuff, but have a warning on what can and can't be posted on their website.

I don't venture into Tumblr much, so I can't form an opinion. The Verge actually has a good article on this and it seems like they are struggling for now until they figure it all out. This stuff takes time. What will truly matter is the numbers of people going to the site after they have their censorship finished. Now these days, the effort to combat sex rings and trafficking is increasing. And I hope people understand that.

When it's all said and done, Tumblr will still be around and the complaints are not going to be as big when they have control of how they censor.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/17/18141106/tumblr-porn-ban-adult-content-appeal

A New Raven Soaring

With another win today against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Baltimore Ravens have put a ton of pressure on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Announcements have been made about the benching of their 11 year veteran quarterback Joe Flacco in favor of rookie Lamar Jackson. The proof is in the pudding right now, and the Ravens have become a big threat to the AFC.

As far as throwing the ball, Jackson is okay. It's not wowing by any means, but he does enough to get by. His totals after today's game are just over 800 yards passing, five touchdowns and three picks. The one thing that is a huge help is the ground game. Baltimore has rushed for over 200 in four of the last five, putting them in the top three in total rushing yards. Jackson has made it to almost 600 yards by just running. Combined with the defense playing strong despite the eight and six record, they could be in the running for a division title.

Quite frankly, I think Flacco was playing on borrowed time. Since the 2012 season that ended with a Super Bowl title, the Ravens haven't been the same. Defensively, they've changed a bit. The run game has been inconsistent. Flacco's ability as a quarterback has either been okay or bad or he has been missing time due to injury. He didn't live up to his big contract. What's funny is that they went through a number of quarterbacks prior to his arrival in 2008.

Whether Jackson lives up to the potential is a tale only he can tell. Baltimore may either have their future or he can crash and burn. I want to see the former out of him.

YouTube Videos: Dec 7-13

Nintendo's Continued Misunderstandings

For a step forward, Nintendo goes two steps backwards. The stuff they have done in the last 10 years or so leaves a lot of question marks to what have accomplished. One of these is their stance on YouTube. It's Creator's Program was met with a lot of criticism a few years ago and was a black eye to anyone that either were monetizing or just showing the games they had. A few weeks back, they announced the end of the program.

You would think in theory this would be good. Nintendo would let loose with their policies. And you would be wrong. They have made some guidelines now with different policies. Most notably is that you can't do videos unless you have commentary put into it. Mainly for reviews and let's plays. Anything that has no commentary could be up for flagging. The same can be said for any hacks and homebrews of games that have Nintendo IP's in it. And I'll assume that it goes for every system they have ever made. Not just modern systems, but the NES and everything else in between.

I have only uploaded one Nintendo game with a number of videos and that was the original Super Mario Bros. My assumption at the time was that they were going after the Wii, Wii U, DS, and 3DS. I was wrong. My videos are still up, but I have never done another Nintendo game since. It's sad because I like some of their content and franchises. This new policy will hurt a number of channels. Cubex55 (World of Longplays) might not exist one day because of Nintendo. Even though they have an archive on their website, they would lose tons of Amiga videos, Sega, Atari, everything. Another is a user that goes by the name of packattack04082. His primary focus is Nintendo and Lego games. Maybe some other kids games, but they get tons of views. Millions to be exact. Losing a channel like that would frustrate a lot of video watchers.

I can understand if it was just anything from the Wii and DS up to the Switch. But why still have policies for NES up to GameCube if they are still doing that? I get they are within their rights, but Nintendo is still out of touch with reality. This isn't the mid 90s where the Internet is a new thing. Sure, there are other companies that have similar policies, but they make things a lot worse. This is only going to create a lot more backlash. And quite frankly, it's only going to turn off more people. Not everyone likes commentary. Having only those type of videos is a bad idea.

Nintendo's approaches to the Internet just screams trying to have strict control at times. I wouldn't mind doing reviews of some their games, but my views on them are not always that positive about them. We'll have to see how things go, but it's not going to be pretty. A step forward but two steps backwards.

The Plenty of Fish Experiement

I've dabbled with some online dating over the past year or so. It's intriguing and when I first started going with that concept, I viewed it as more of an experiment. And it became more evident when I started using Plenty of Fish. It has been around for well over a decade. In my few months of trying this site, it definitely has its perks, but problems at the same time.

As far as features, they have it narrowed down to some specifics. Stuff like distance, their appearance, do they drink or smoke. They have the stuff that some worry about. Once you're registered, it's rather simple to search via things like education and whether they are online or not. Messaging is basic and gets to the point. If you succeed, you're in luck.

One of the negatives is that if you want to upgrade, you need to pay. That means credit cards or PayPal. It's the nature of the beast as a number of sites do this. I don't and neither do a number of people. Expect one thing and that is scammers. Obviously, some don't want to wind up in a catfish scenario.

I don't know how common it is for others, but it seems like I keep getting responses from other women who want me to visit a virus infested site or text their number into a scam. Luckily, I'm not that gullible. When it's women that actually want a relationship, sometimes they are rather quiet about what they want out of it. Others are very open. The most common interest I see out of them is hiking. I don't buy into that. But I do see quite a bit of redneck country girls. The whole thing. Fishing, hunting, mudding, you name it. Part of me wants someone that isn't a total redneck, but isn't against doings something like fishing.

Personally, I think it's a decent site that you should try at least a couple of times because you can get responses from your messages. How much patience you have will be the true test.

Doom 1993 (DOS) Review/Thoughts

Back in 1995, my family got a Packard Bell computer running Windows 95. For a few years, we would be on the Internet via dial-up, doing school work, and for me, playing PC games. I didn't play too many games, but the few I played are ones I remember deeply. Doom is one of those games. Coming out December 10, 1993, it became one of the biggest phenomenons of the 90s, finding success and controversy. It's one of the greatest games ever made and still gets a lot of love today.

For one thing, the gameplay is to the point. The whole game is similar to Wolfenstein 3D, but in it's style. It's level designs are more complex as you search areas of Mars and its moons for keys to find the exits. Hundreds of enemies are all around and the gunplay is fantastic. Various forms of killing come from using a shotgun, plasma rifle, the BFG 9000. Even enemies that hurt others, which was an early example of infighting.

The initial release had three episodes, each with eight levels and a secret ninth one. Find the exit, and you finish the level. You fight a boss on the last one of the episode. A lot of the fighting either takes place in tight corridors or some open space areas. A lot of basic stuff. There's tons of secrets lying. Controlling the space marine is very simple. It can be modified to your liking.

It holds its own graphically. The amount of detail at the time to the areas and backgrounds. Just the advancements between this and Wolfenstein is noticeable. Id Software captured a good sense of a 3D world. Another aspect that was given a lot of care is the audio. The music does metal rip off tracks and scary music tracks. It adds to the environment of being alone and the adrenaline pumping gameplay depending on the track being played. Sound effects are great and it's all done in stereo sound.

There's a lot you can say about Doom. Its legacy is very huge. Being able to look, sound, and play great on a DOS computer back then was a huge accomplishment. From the beginnings of just getting a scrolling screen for Commander Keen in 1990 to the ultimate first person shooter experience, it takes time to get to that greatest game ever made.

Score: 10 out of 10

Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled

I wish this game would come out now, but alas,we'll have to wait. There was a rumor floating around this week of a Crash Team Racing game. Of course, speculation comes into play and it became true. A remaster of the game is slated for late June on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

The original was the last Naughty Dog game for the original PlayStation way back in the fall of 1999. To a number of people, this is better than Mario Kart. The single player feels well done. There's nothing cheap about it. It's fair. No bullshit weapons that bombard you at the last second. An adventure mode similar to Diddy Kong Racing. Tournaments and split screen racing. It did everything right. Only thing that it doesn't have over Mario Kart is multiplayer, but the single player is more than satisfying.

I think it's a bit of a shocker that CTR is coming back. How it will handle 90s designs for the modern day will be a question in itself. With N. Sane Trilogy, outside of some controls for the first game, it played rather well. But this isn't a platformer. If it can perform good speeds on your own, the multiplayer and the new online mode, I'll be pleased. Until then, get hyped. When June comes, I'm definitely getting a copy.

YouTube Videos: Nov 30-Dec 6

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 5

Talk about the late Stephen Hillenburg, Black Friday, the Washington Redskins, and school closings.

Cheesed at Arizona

Since 1992, the Green Bay Packers have been a powerhouse franchise for the NFL. My thoughts are that they are overrated, especially more so in recent memory compared to the Brett Favre years. That being said, I'd figured there would be a point where head coach Mike McCarthy was going to be fired. Let's just say I wasn't thinking it was going to happen until the end of the year. Whatever the case, the Packers let him go after an embarrassing loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

What was the problem? If I were to guess, it was the expectations for the year. A different look on both sides of the ball. This is with a healthy Aaron "Hollywood" Rodgers, who was coming off an injury season along with being shut down towards the end of the year. The passing is there. A problem lies in the fact that he has no one to throw it to. Davante Adams is the only guy that has put up any valiant effort, eclipsing 1,100 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns for the year. The next big receiver is tight end Jimmy Graham, but he and two others are tied for second in touchdown receptions at two. Graham's yards are also at just above 450. I think teams are willing to give up big plays to Adams, but know to stop the others. A banged up and declining Randall Cobb doesn't help either.

Ever since Ryan Grant's injury at the start of the 2010 season, Green Bay has not been a good running team. It seemed their fortunes would be decent with Eddie Lacy and James Starks for a few years, but after that, it's back to being abysmal. To be fair, Aaron Jones stats are okay and the best they have had in three years. That doesn't excuse the inconsistent ground game and the need to over rely on Rodgers. This one dimensional aspect usually does not work. In the 13 years of having McCarthy, only being able to produce one Super Bowl and a bunch of disappointment leads to poking a lot of holes at the way Green Bay is coached.

Of course, there's the defense. Since the 2010 season, it has either been very good, middle tiered, or dreadful. Even with giving up tons of yards, the Packers are a turnover machine. A reason why was the ability to pick off numerous quarterbacks. It's a completely different defense, and the struggles to create takeaways is noticeable. Outside of a few veterans, it's a rag tag group of young players trying to fit in with the veterans. It's not like it's going to be a quick fix, but good luck explaining it to Packer fans.

Ultimately, this comes down to questionable play calling, the poor running attack, and the group on defense. I think the writing was on the wall, even with the amount of success McCarthy has had since 2006. Too much disappointment. Whoever is the next coach will have some very big shoes to fill in. NFL title town is in Wisconsin and the expectations will be very high on whoever is next and if they can reach and win another Super Bowl. Until then, the Packers will have to finish the season in strong fashion. Their chances to have a playoff wild card spot diminished with this ugly loss.

Kareem Hunt and Bad Journalism

I do shake my head in disgust at stuff like TMZ, Inside Edition, and other stuff that is basically paparazzi or bad journalism. The effort to make stories is very minimal and it drives into nothing but hate. In the last 24 hours, Kansas City Chiefs running back has been cut for a February incident that including assaulting a woman. A video had just been posted to TMZ and the club released him.

If it was a recent incident in the last week or two, I wouldn't be bothered to do a blog. But from an incident in February? I do think what Hunt did was very stupid and completely unnecessary. What's making me scratch my head at this is why wait until a critical part of the NFL season? Is TMZ trying to sabotage the Chiefs? I want to say yes, but I don't know. We're a month away from football playoffs, and it changes everything in the AFC.

There's a reason why the paparazzi has been hated for over 20 years. Ever since the car accident that killed Princess Diana in France, it puts these so called journalists below tons of professionals. While TMZ may be looked at and sourced by certain TV channels and newspapers, it doesn't mean they are a completely innocent group. Going after celebrities and specific incidents make them no different than ambulance chasers. This could be the case with Hunt, even though what he did was wrong.

One of these days, someone from TMZ, Inside Edition, or one of those paparazzi sites or shows, is going to get killed for sticking their nose into a thing that they shouldn't have been. It only takes one major incident for things to have major change. Whether the Chiefs or NFL does something to look further into whether TMZ did this deliberately, I don't know. Either way, whoever posted the video is going to get a lot, and I mean, a lot of hate.