Friday, June 13, 2003

Comic Website of the Day

Wendy Liebman is a very funny lady. If you haven't seen her live, there's a list of upcoming appearances over at her website. If she comes near you, go. You'll have a good time.

• Posted at 11:49 PM · LINK

Comic Artist Website of the Day

He writes novels and screenplays and plays...but at heart, Jules Feiffer will always be a comic artist. I hope. Here's his website.

• Posted at 11:45 PM · LINK

Just the Fax

About a dozen of you have written to me regarding my theory about those mysterious phone calls. Half of you thought I was right to believe that they're from a computer (or computers) fishing for phone numbers that are answered by humans so that those numbers can be sold to phone solicitors. The other half thought it was the opposite; that they're looking for phone numbers that are answered by fax machines in order to sell those numbers to companies that send out junk fax mail. And it dawns on me that both theories could be right: They — whoever "they" are — could be testing numbers, classifying them as fax or voice, and then selling the numbers in the appropriate categories.

I must admit that I'm mystified at the presumed success of junk mail faxes or e-mail spam ads. I've received a ton of both but never one that I would consider accepting. I mean, I doubt I will ever take a pill that promises to enlarge my genitalia but if I did, it would not be one that came to me via an unsolicited offer from a stranger in Uruguay. The promises of low-interest loans and guaranteed lotto numbers shouldn't fool a spaniel, let alone someone smart enough to operate a computer. But I guess you have to figure that if the offers keep coming, they can't have a 100% failure rate. Someone is responding to them. Here's an article about a lady who ran an escrow company who sent almost half a million dollars of her clients' money to one of those Nigerian scams — an amazing bit of gullibility, especially when you remember that escrow companies are supposed to ensure responsibility in financial transactions.

No wonder 41% of the country thinks we've already found those Weapons of Mass Destruction and/or that Saddam was behind 9/11.

• Posted at 4:52 PM · LINK

Conan the Valedictorian

Well, not really. Actually, he once delivered a commencement address at Harvard. But here's the text of Conan O'Brien's commencement speech

• Posted at 3:22 PM · LINK

Hey, Paula!

Here's what's happened to Paula Poundstone. Sounds like generally good news.

• Posted at 1:27 AM · LINK