Ogden's Day

Another later night post -- mostly because I screwed up my sleep rhythms yesterday, dozing after dinner and then working and waking most of the night, and talking to keen students for most of today. So now it's relatively early, but I am wiped. You guys get me at my tiredest, with my internal editor on a smoke break.

So I hear that I am not the only victim of that craigslist criminal kingpin Mike Ogden. I was approached by a fellow victim who had read my blog. He directed to a site dedicated to Mike's shenanigans. Lots of posts from fellow vics, and a couple of sneaky pics of Mike as well. You'd think he was Carlos the Jackal. (Yes, that's him at the top of this post. If you see him, approach with caution, then start kicking.)

I don't know if I am pleased at his success and high profile. Part of me would like him to be an amiable bad guy who duped me out of a few bucks, and used it to pay the rent. I don't like to think of him as a criminal mastermind, removing students and seniors from their hard-earned and much-missed cash. It makes him more dangerous, and more banal, operating a boring old internet business out of his home office. On the plus side, the fact that I have fellow-sufferers offers me a chance to bond. Victims of Ogden unite! We can have an annual dinner. Yes, that's it. We'll feast our neighbours and say, Tomorrow is St Ogden. Then will we strip our sleeves (well, our wallets) and show our scars, and say, These wounds I had on Ogden's Day. Sounds cool, hey? Maybe we'll have a club tie.

I haven't lost hope. I have climbed onto the saddle again, and found a laptop in my neck of the craigslist, offered for sale by a guy who said I could try it out before purchasing. I hope to see him tomorrow. My son wonders how good the machine is -- he says he'll run the specs by his frined Phil. Yes, Phil the engineer is in the picture again. Good to know that, if this deal goes sour, I will have someone to blame.