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I’m hopelessly liberal, like Noam Chomsky-Ralph Nader liberal. And I often post my feelings about things on Facebook, much to the chagrin on 90% of my friends who are on the right. Here is a response I posted to a Las Vegas shooting that occurred a couple of days ago.

I was not trying to bait a response to my initial post; it was actually meant to be funny. Erin, my cousin, later responded to my diatribe by saying we shouldn’t argue over Facebook, which tells me I won. I think when someone comments, it’s fair game to comments back. I still feel like a jerk.

Should I not help these people?

Dear Friend

I know this letter will come to you as a surprise because you do not know me before; my name is Mr. Alex Koffi Director Cargo Department, Bank of Ghana.

During the airlift of some presidential luggages to Europe I and my colleagues in the above department unanimously decided to include additional luggage containing US$8million only for our own benefit though it was labeled “Photographic Equipment” for security reasons. I am obliged to contact you to assist us on getting the luggage cleared from the agent and delivered to you. As we have agreed on the following tames.

(1) All relevant documents to claim the luggage will be procure in your name to enable the agent deliver the luggage to your mailing address. (2) You will be entitled to a share of 25% of the total amount. (3) 5% of the total amount will be set aside for expenses on both sides. (4) 70% of the total amount will be for my colleagues and me.

If this business terms and conditions are ok by you, kindly contact me on this mail address, also, furnish me with your full names, mailing address and your personal telephone / fax numbers, for easier communication for immediate forwarding to the agent in Europe.

Note that this business is 100% risk free, as all relevant documents to back up the claim will be procure on your name, however we advice you to keep the entire transaction close to yourself until you received the luggage. For security reasons other modalities will be discussed as soon as you response to me.

Yours Faithfully

Mr. Alex Koffi
Director Cargo Dept

Stick with 7.10, if you can.

My Discrete math teacher said something along the lines of “You go to a town of liars and ask one if he is asleep” in passing the other day. This is aninteresting situation and I think worked out the outcome of it in class, but I couldn’t find any explanations of it on the internet.

Here is what I have written down in my notes:

You ask a liar if he is asleep, there are only 2 answers: yes and no.

Of course one cannot answer if one is asleep so,
1) if he is asleep, he will not answer and appear to be asleep
2) if he is not asleep, he will lie and appear to be asleep.

So there is ambiguity –  the same result occurs for both situations.

Update: I found a video explaining the answer.

Here is an email I received a few days ago, I’m always tempted to reply with almost real information just to see where it goes.

Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 11:16 AM
From: OFFICE OF THE SENATE HOUSE <XXXXXXXXX@unimelb.edu.au>

To:

Subject: COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN PAYMENT

OFFICE OF THE SENATE HOUSE
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN PAYMENT
(RESOLUTION PANEL ON CONTRACT PAYMENT)
IKOYI-LAGOS NIGERIA Ref: FGN /SNT/STB
TEL::+234-807-8228-142

THIS IS TO OFFICIALLY INFORM YOU THAT THE OFFICE OF THE SENATE HOUSE HAS DISCOVERED YOU ARE ONE OF THE FINAL RECIPIENT TO RECEIVE A CONTRACT PAYMENT OF $ 500.000.00 WE HAVE VERIFIED YOUR FILE AND FOUND OUT THAT THE REASON YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR PAYMENT IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT FULFILLED THE OBLIGATIONS GIVEN TO YOU IN RESPECT OF YOUR PAYMENT.

SECONDLY WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT YOU HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THE NONE OFFICIALS IN THE BANK AND WE WISH TO INFORM YOU THAT SUCH AN ILLEGAL ACT LIKE THESE HAVE TO  STOP IF YOU WISH TO RECEIVE YOUR PAYMENT SINCE WE HAVE DECIDED TO BRING A SOLUTION TO YOUR PROBLEM.RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ARRANGED YOUR PAYMENT THROUGH OUR SWIFT  CARD PAYMENT CENTER ASIA PACIFIC

THAT IS THE LATEST INSTRUCTION FROM MR.PRESIDENT, UMARU YAR’ADUA (GCFR) FEDERAL REPUBLIC OFNIGERIA AND NIGERIA POLICE FORCE (N.P.F).

THIS CARD CENTER WILL SEND YOU AN ATM CARD WHICH YOU WILL USE TO WITHDRAW YOUR MONEY IN ANY ATM MACHINE IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD, BUT THE MAXIMUM IS  FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS PER DAY, SO IF YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE YOUR FUND THIS WAY PLEASE LET US KNOW BY CONTACTING THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUNDS DEPARTMENT CARD PAYMENT CENTER MR
ISAH ABDULAHI VIA THE BELOW EMAIL ADDRESS:

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX@live.com

AND ALSO SEND THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
1. YOUR FULL NAME
2. PHONE AND FAX NUMBER
3. ADDRESS WERE YOU WANT THEM TO SEND THE ATM CARD
4. YOUR AGE AND CURRENT OCCUPATION

THE ATM CARD PAYMENT CENTER HAS BEEN MANDATED TO ISSUE OUT USD 6.8 MILLION AS ART PAYMENT FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR 2008. ALSO FOR YOUR INFORMATION,YOU HAVE TO STOP ANY FURTHER COMMUNICATION WITH ANY OTHER PERSON(S) OR OFFICE(S) TO AVOID ANY HITCHES IN RECEIVING YOUR PAYMENT.

REGARDS,
MR DAVID MARK.
SENATE PRESIDENT.