Thursday 13 January 2011

100 Greatest Scammers of All Time


Terence Freemen, the bloke from Essex who scammed his clients of £14m through a Ponzi scheme, seems to have eaten most of his ill-gotten gains.


If something looks too good to be true, then it invariably is. Why can some people not understand this? Those who ignore this fundamental rule of investment become subject to financial natural selection – the elimination of the greedy. One of the victims said that the scammer looked honest; can anyone tell me how someone is meant to look if they are dishonest?

The boy has been studiously applying himself to his new (or rather old) electric guitar over the last few days and can already play a couple of small riffs. This has pleased me enormously considering the bass guitar I bought him in the summer had as much attention as an IKEA flatpack instruction manual. Bought him a guitar strap and have a few finger picks on order.

Not to be outshone, dad showed him short and curtailed riffs from Voodoo Chile and A Small Fruit Song, dredged from some 40 year-old memories and taught to him by Doug Huxtable, the boy who bunked next to him at school.

We’ve been watching ‘The History of Rock & Roll” series on TV and I have reached the conclusion that punk was merely an interlude – a bit like the mucous green mush of the chrysalis stage of the caterpillar before it transforms into a moth or butterfly. I cannot recall a single famous punk guitar riff, although I’m sure some sad bugger will remind me of one.

We had a trawl through the Rolling Stone "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". A travesty that neither John Lee Hooker or Buckethead are listed - and that Dave Gilmour is languishing in the low 80s.



Why do I bloody bother?


5 comments:

Steve Borthwick said...

I think the most charitable thing that can be said about the RS list is it's a very "personal" choice.

I can't agree about Punk though, probably my age, but it was a catalyst that inspired many new and wonderful developments to take place, and (more importantly) the kids round our way loved it.

Alan Burnett said...

"can anyone tell me how someone is meant to look if they are dishonest?"
Send me £5 and I will tell you.

Veronica Ruth Cruse said...

love Bert's shirt. I agree with you about John Lee And Buckethead and most especially Dave Gilmour. BTW You turned me onto Buckethead. Thanks

Chairman Bill said...

Blue: The guy is phenomenal - 30 studio albums and he's only in his early 40s. He's also extremely versatile.

Lee said...

The saddest email I ever got was from some lady who said her Dad had give 000s to Nigerian Scammers. Could I help him get it back?

No, just chalk it up to a very expensive education.