• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

We need to vote them all out and restore sane Democratic government.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

Every reporter and pundit should have to declare if they ever vacationed with a billionaire.

Their shamelessness is their super power.

I am pretty sure these ‘journalists’ were not always such a bootlicking sycophants.

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

Oppose, oppose, oppose. do not congratulate. this is not business as usual.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

They are not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

The unpunished coup was a training exercise.

A norm that restrains only one side really is not a norm – it is a trap.

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

Those who are easily outraged are easily manipulated.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

Mobile Menu

  • 4 Directions VA 2025 Raffle
  • 2025 Activism
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • 2025 Activism
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • Targeted Fundraising!
You are here: Home / z-Retired Categories / Previous Site Maintenance / Weird Spam

Weird Spam

by John Cole|  August 15, 20101:13 pm| 42 Comments

This post is in: Previous Site Maintenance

FacebookTweetEmail

Not sure if this is a coordinated attempt at pushing talking points or an ingenious attempt at getting obvious spam approved, but this was in my spam filter:

I’m against capital punishment, but I might think otherwise should we institute the death penalty for spammers. Between the email complaints about ads, content, margins, loading time, etc., and the concerted efforts of spammers, it makes running a website a PITA. This was just weird, though, because I had never seen anything like this.

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: « In the year 2525
Next Post: Or is this the IRA? »

Reader Interactions

42Comments

  1. 1.

    beltane

    August 15, 2010 at 1:18 pm

    It looks like you got spammed with a bogus HuffPo thread. That is very, very weird.

  2. 2.

    mcd410x

    August 15, 2010 at 1:19 pm

    Fleshlights? A million years of masturbation and this is the best we can do? C’mon, America!

  3. 3.

    freelancer (itouch)

    August 15, 2010 at 1:19 pm

    Much like the Futurama episode “I dated a robot!”, it is not hard for me to envision an idiocracy-like future where women bring Maglites and Coleman Lanterns on dates for their newfound secondary sex characteristics.

    Unintended Consequences of male toys. Hoocoodanode!

  4. 4.

    licensed to kill time

    August 15, 2010 at 1:20 pm

    I blame it on our lowsy President. What do you expect. We should have a highsy President like before, then no spam.

  5. 5.

    Anoniminous

    August 15, 2010 at 1:22 pm

    An attempt to direct the conversation through an upgrade from ‘Concern Trolling” to ‘Concern Spamming?’

    BTW, “nobody has told Muslims they can’t build a mosque only that they can’t build it there” is a priceless little piece of Conservative reasoning (sic) and I vow to endeavor to persevere to enshrine it in my little brain.

  6. 6.

    smiley

    August 15, 2010 at 1:23 pm

    Do creative things like building the gay bar next door….

    How do you build a gay bar?

  7. 7.

    morzer

    August 15, 2010 at 1:24 pm

    @Anoniminous:

    It’s also untrue, judging from the more rabid demands for “No more mosques ever” etc.

  8. 8.

    Anoniminous

    August 15, 2010 at 1:31 pm

    @morzer:

    If you’re going to start dragging truth into the discussion All Hope Is Lost.

    Basically, IMNSHO, the truth is: they hate Muslims. Or, more correctly, they hate the idea they’ve cobbled-up around the word “Muslim.” I mean we’re talking about people who claim an ancient folk tale equating pi with 3 is “inerrant.”

    Not the sharpest tools in the drawer.

  9. 9.

    Larry Signor

    August 15, 2010 at 1:32 pm

    @smiley: It must be a zoning thing.

  10. 10.

    Ross Hershberger

    August 15, 2010 at 1:32 pm

    The ‘don’t build it there’ idea takes me back 45 years. I recall relatives saying that Negroes shouldn’t go ‘where they’re not wanted’ and I thought ‘so YOU get to decide where they can go?’ So much for freedom.

  11. 11.

    morzer

    August 15, 2010 at 1:36 pm

    @Anoniminous:

    Indeedy. My apologies. I shall now go and bow down and pray in the direction of the Republican budget plan, before I burn incense to it. Now, let me see.. which way is Never Never Land?

  12. 12.

    Larry Signor

    August 15, 2010 at 1:37 pm

    This seems to be pretty straight forward:

    Amendment I

    Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

    The wingnuts really hate instant replay and the internet.

  13. 13.

    Villago Delenda Est

    August 15, 2010 at 1:41 pm

    What has amused me since the early days of the public intertubes is that a system that was designed with academics and military people in mind (that is, groups that can be expected to be disciplined about these sorts of things) hit the greater Mammon-worshipping society and was promptly pwned by those seeking to externalize their advertising costs on everyone else.

    Spam is a social, not a technical, problem. You can use technical means to combat it, but it’s like the endless cycle of military advantage/disadvantage between the offense and defense; every innovation will be countered, prompting a new round of innovations.

  14. 14.

    WereBear

    August 15, 2010 at 1:46 pm

    Spam is going to be with us as long as there are proton brains who click on the damn links.

    Ironically, these are the same proton brains who will report a requested newsletter as SPAM because they don’t want it any more and won’t bother to unsubscribe.

    That might be the key to a technical solution, though.

  15. 15.

    Scott P.

    August 15, 2010 at 1:46 pm

    Spam is a social, not a technical, problem. You can use technical means to combat it, but it’s like the endless cycle of military advantage/disadvantage between the offense and defense; every innovation will be countered, prompting a new round of innovations.

    Really? We seem to have killed of telemarketers; at least most of them (a few are still kicking around).

  16. 16.

    handy

    August 15, 2010 at 1:48 pm

    Looks like the cadets of the Wingnut Welfare Brigade Web 2.0 Division are doing double (triple?) work. They really need to marshal their soldiers a little better.

  17. 17.

    Punchy

    August 15, 2010 at 1:48 pm

    And here I thought you were going to post about this….

  18. 18.

    TBogg

    August 15, 2010 at 1:48 pm

    This will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back (code for muslims) and will reunite Americans. We are all Fleshlight Americans now.

  19. 19.

    Anoniminous

    August 15, 2010 at 1:49 pm

    @morzer:

    LOL

  20. 20.

    maus

    August 15, 2010 at 1:51 pm

    @WereBear: Yep. And people will continue to buy their homeopathic peener enlargement as long as people trust alt-med quackery. I mean, whatever they’re being sold is as reliable as what they’re sold from any Naturopathic “Doctor” anyway.

  21. 21.

    Southern Beale

    August 15, 2010 at 1:51 pm

    Heh. Most of the SPAM I get has weird subject lines like “Big peckers are fair game” or “Lindsay Lohan panty drop.”

  22. 22.

    thalarctos

    August 15, 2010 at 1:52 pm

    @smiley:

    “How do you build a gay bar?”

    Build it, and they will come.

  23. 23.

    Omnes Omnibus

    August 15, 2010 at 1:53 pm

    @smiley: I think they are born that way.

  24. 24.

    MikeJ

    August 15, 2010 at 1:53 pm

    @Scott P.: Telemarketers pay for their own calls, spam is basically free. Easier to kill something with start up costs.

    Spammers also more easily operate from outside jurisdictions that might prosecute.

  25. 25.

    Poopyman

    August 15, 2010 at 2:09 pm

    @smiley:

    How do you build a gay bar?

    Bottom first.

  26. 26.

    Poopyman

    August 15, 2010 at 2:11 pm

    @TBogg:

    We are all Fleshlight Americans now.

    Not quite, but it does make me wonder about Cole’s web-surfing habits….

  27. 27.

    WereBear

    August 15, 2010 at 2:13 pm

    Now I have Neil Diamond singing “Turn on your fleshlight,” in my head. I blame Tbogg.

  28. 28.

    Gina

    August 15, 2010 at 2:14 pm

    @Ross Hershberger: THIS!

  29. 29.

    MTiffany

    August 15, 2010 at 2:15 pm

    There spelling and grammer leafs me smerking like the liberal elitist that I am.

  30. 30.

    LikeableInMyOwnWay

    August 15, 2010 at 2:23 pm

    Not sure what this is about.

    It’s standard RWNM output. All bandwidth is flooded with this stuff, snail mail, email, blogotubes, you name it. Constant, unrelenting, never ending.

    Last August it was Death Panels and deliberate disruption of so-called “town hall meetings.” It’s hot, congress is going on vacation to drink and run with whores and engage in anal homo sex and that other stuff that congress does, the tv cable news outlets are hungry for jackalopes.

    So, nothing new. And yes, as probably the most rabid anti-death-penalty person around these parts, I nevertheless fully support public executions for spammers. Heads on spikes. No prisoners.

  31. 31.

    LikeableInMyOwnWay

    August 15, 2010 at 2:28 pm

    How do you build a gay bar?

    The entrance is in the rear.

  32. 32.

    scav

    August 15, 2010 at 2:30 pm

    we’re near to the point where the Nigerian 419ers have better spelling and logic. . .

  33. 33.

    JGabriel

    August 15, 2010 at 2:31 pm

    smiley:

    How do you build a gay bar?

    With gay porn!

    .

  34. 34.

    morzer

    August 15, 2010 at 2:33 pm

    @JGabriel:

    How do you build a gay bar?

    Well, you need a core crowd of closeted Republicans, a couple of Evangelical ministers looking for baggage-handlers, a fading starlet.. oh, you mean physically?

  35. 35.

    Bnut

    August 15, 2010 at 2:38 pm

    How do you build a gay bar?

    Turn all the stools upside down.

  36. 36.

    eric

    August 15, 2010 at 2:40 pm

    @thalarctos: I would bow down before the greatness of your pun, but I am not a bottom thank you very much.

  37. 37.

    JGabriel

    August 15, 2010 at 2:40 pm

    @Southern Beale:

    Most of the SPAM I get has weird subject lines like “Big peckers are fair game” or “Lindsay Lohan panty drop.”

    My spam is largely a subtle, frothy, mix of pr0n site ads, dating site ads, p3nis enlargement or erectile ads, and MS/UN/Nigerian scams, sprinkled very lightly, like raisins in a mass-produced tapioca pudding, with the occasional Asian web host site or site selling animation/IT/phone marketing services.

    .

  38. 38.

    Anne Laurie

    August 15, 2010 at 3:11 pm

    In my experience spam, as a philosophical topic, is one way to make a gLibertarian acutely uneasy. On the one hand, FREEEE MARKETS; on the other, spam is a PITA for them, personally, so they’d be just as happy if Nanny Government could viley suppress the creativity of all spammers, and they wouldn’t mind if such suppression involved a ball-bat. If I’m ever trapped on an elevator with McMegan, goddess forbid, I’m gonna demand her views on spam & then entertain myself by mocking her.

  39. 39.

    gelfling545

    August 15, 2010 at 4:47 pm

    @morzer: Second star on the right and straight on to morning. It would be on the right, of course.

  40. 40.

    yoodow

    August 15, 2010 at 5:16 pm

    Spam is around because the government gave in to DMA’s demand.
    CAN-SPAM does not prevent any spam – in fact, it appears to give federal approval to the practice.

    Spam apart from being PITA is also a very effective way for delivering malware.

  41. 41.

    Anne Laurie

    August 15, 2010 at 9:37 pm

    Testing… I snucked into the FYWP-offending comment and put spaces between the three exclamation points. Let’s see if that “fixed” the problem…

  42. 42.

    Mark Walters

    August 21, 2010 at 8:26 pm

    DMAA, also called geranamine, has become a restricted substance in New Zealand, but it’s still legal in the US.

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

On The Road - way2blue - SINALEI, SAMOA—RESPITE EDITION—FEBRUARY 2025.  (second of five) 8
Image by way2blue (7/16/25)
Donate

Recent Comments

  • Chacal Charles Calthrop on Flailing & Failing (Open Thread) (Jul 16, 2025 @ 11:25pm)
  • Ramona on Flailing & Failing (Open Thread) (Jul 16, 2025 @ 11:21pm)
  • Captain C on Repub Corruption Open Thread: Don TACO, King of All Scammers (Jul 16, 2025 @ 11:18pm)
  • Ramona on Flailing & Failing (Open Thread) (Jul 16, 2025 @ 11:17pm)
  • Another Scott on On The Road – Elma – Japan and Cruising the Pacific to LA Part 2 (Jul 16, 2025 @ 11:10pm)

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
No Kings Protests June 14 2025

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Links)
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Posts)
Fix Nyms with Apostrophes

Social Media

Balloon Juice
WaterGirl
TaMara
John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
David Anderson
Major Major Major Major
DougJ NYT Pitchbot
mistermix

Keeping Track

Legal Challenges (Lawfare)
Republicans Fleeing Town Halls (TPM)
21 Letters (to Borrow or Steal)
Search Donations from a Brand

Feeling Defeated?  If We Give Up, It's Game Over

Donate

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!