Comments on: When the Deal Is Too Good Think Twice http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/10/when-the-deal-is-too-good-think-twice/ African's personal development blog Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:51:39 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: How Undocumented Immigrants Survive in Europe - The Displaced African http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/10/when-the-deal-is-too-good-think-twice/comment-page-1/#comment-3611 How Undocumented Immigrants Survive in Europe - The Displaced African Sun, 21 Dec 2008 18:03:53 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/?p=1622#comment-3611 [...] podcast was recorded a long time ago, when I got on the phone with guest columnist and African Bulletin writer, [...] [...] podcast was recorded a long time ago, when I got on the phone with guest columnist and African Bulletin writer, [...]

]]> By: Carol A.Otieno http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/10/when-the-deal-is-too-good-think-twice/comment-page-1/#comment-3603 Carol A.Otieno Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:22:58 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/?p=1622#comment-3603 @Mwangi; Aha, I like your last sentence. Indeed anyone who'd like to offload some beck/quid/money out of another one's pockets has to have the "power of persuasion." Most who have successfully done so have been able to identify the other's deepest desires or vulnerability in order to do that. We all have dreams, desires and vulnerabilities/weak-points/achilles heel and the speed at which we're able to display the above, in combination with the trust we have for the other are a mix of which the con can make use of to take advantage. I'm over and out... @Mwangi; Aha, I like your last sentence. Indeed anyone who’d like to offload some beck/quid/money out of another one’s pockets has to have the “power of persuasion.” Most who have successfully done so have been able to identify the other’s deepest desires or vulnerability in order to do that. We all have dreams, desires and vulnerabilities/weak-points/achilles heel and the speed at which we’re able to display the above, in combination with the trust we have for the other are a mix of which the con can make use of to take advantage.
I’m over and out…

]]> By: Mwangi http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/10/when-the-deal-is-too-good-think-twice/comment-page-1/#comment-3602 Mwangi Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:05:33 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/?p=1622#comment-3602 @Carol and Kelly: Since we are on the issue of pyramid schemes. Pyramid schemes are part of the reason this blog got started in the first place. When I moved to Sydney, I moved to start a movie production company from the ground up. Once when I was in a cyber cafe looking like a hot mess, I met this woman who was two things, quite narcissistic and determined to prove her worth and interested in acting. We got to talking about acting (btw, if the two actors I met in Sydney are any indication of what actors in LA are like, I now understand why so few people like the town, they are an interesting breed) and I told her why I was in Sydney. She then said something that made my heart erupt: " She could introduce me to a director who worked for the ABC!" I was so excited for the next few days, thanking God for being on my side. A few days later I was thanking God for someone else: I had been taken to a "pyramid scheme meeting" and the "director" turned out to be this wanna-be celeb who may or may not have worked in film but was now in another field entirely. Thats when I thought to myself, if I could have been duped that easily, then clearly I have a passion for this and I doubled my efforts to get the message of tDA out there. Now the story is a lot more convoluted and long than that, but me thinks the moral is that, you never know where your teachers will come from or is it that pyramid scheme folks are very good at identifying your deepest desires and linking them to their scheme....hmmmmmmmm @Carol and Kelly: Since we are on the issue of pyramid schemes. Pyramid schemes are part of the reason this blog got started in the first place.
When I moved to Sydney, I moved to start a movie production company from the ground up.
Once when I was in a cyber cafe looking like a hot mess, I met this woman who was two things, quite narcissistic and determined to prove her worth and interested in acting.
We got to talking about acting (btw, if the two actors I met in Sydney are any indication of what actors in LA are like, I now understand why so few people like the town, they are an interesting breed) and I told her why I was in Sydney.
She then said something that made my heart erupt: ” She could introduce me to a director who worked for the ABC!”
I was so excited for the next few days, thanking God for being on my side.
A few days later I was thanking God for someone else: I had been taken to a “pyramid scheme meeting” and the “director” turned out to be this wanna-be celeb who may or may not have worked in film but was now in another field entirely.
Thats when I thought to myself, if I could have been duped that easily, then clearly I have a passion for this and I doubled my efforts to get the message of tDA out there.
Now the story is a lot more convoluted and long than that, but me thinks the moral is that, you never know where your teachers will come from or is it that pyramid scheme folks are very good at identifying your deepest desires and linking them to their scheme….hmmmmmmmm

]]> By: Carol A.Otieno http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/10/when-the-deal-is-too-good-think-twice/comment-page-1/#comment-3601 Carol A.Otieno Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:00:13 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/?p=1622#comment-3601 Ah...By the way, the title of this post was meant to be "When the deal is too good to be true, think twice." There are good genuine deals but these need to be separated from the "too-good-to-be-true." Because face it folks, there are many deals we have on our desks that are like a dream, and that is the deal you have to question and watch out for, over and out. Ah…By the way, the title of this post was meant to be “When the deal is too good to be true, think twice.” There are good genuine deals but these need to be separated from the “too-good-to-be-true.” Because face it folks, there are many deals we have on our desks that are like a dream, and that is the deal you have to question and watch out for, over and out.

]]> By: Carol A.Otieno http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/10/when-the-deal-is-too-good-think-twice/comment-page-1/#comment-3600 Carol A.Otieno Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:56:53 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/?p=1622#comment-3600 Hey guys, @ Mwangi, it really is nice to go out of your way to help guys out. I try to help new comers or prospective comers who'd like to join us guys 'out-here.' The best ways to help is give the much needed advice and show people the way, these are two things I never really had and would have made a lot of difference to me had I known stuff before. And it's pretty much the purpose of your blog-site, tDA, to help people not make the same mistakes that you did. Westerners are pretty much like that guys you mentioned. They'll show so much interest, ask you questions, strike conversation and the next time you bump into them, they'll pass you like a concorde jet, so you pretty much get used to that. Some Europeans I noticed take further interest in you if they pretty much have noticed something in you that they can benefit from. @ Kelly, I feel sorry for guys duped by the pyramid scheme. Some so called pyramid schemes do work, for example the one that you join to sell health products, I joined one but for the love of God I've been out here so long that I not only have forgotten some people's names but I've forgotten the names of important stuff like the food supplement pyramid I had joined. One guy who joined early made so much beck/quid/money out of the same, and would earn bonus points that would grant him gifts like flying to Greece and taking tours in South Africa and so on, so some pyramid schemes are genuine, others are just 'pulling a fast one' at someone's pockets. It takes alot of foresight to see which are genuine. Hey guys,

@ Mwangi, it really is nice to go out of your way to help guys out. I try to help new comers or prospective comers who’d like to join us guys ‘out-here.’ The best ways to help is give the much needed advice and show people the way, these are two things I never really had and would have made a lot of difference to me had I known stuff before. And it’s pretty much the purpose of your blog-site, tDA, to help people not make the same mistakes that you did.
Westerners are pretty much like that guys you mentioned. They’ll show so much interest, ask you questions, strike conversation and the next time you bump into them, they’ll pass you like a concorde jet, so you pretty much get used to that. Some Europeans I noticed take further interest in you if they pretty much have noticed something in you that they can benefit from.

@ Kelly, I feel sorry for guys duped by the pyramid scheme. Some so called pyramid schemes do work, for example the one that you join to sell health products, I joined one but for the love of God I’ve been out here so long that I not only have forgotten some people’s names but I’ve forgotten the names of important stuff like the food supplement pyramid I had joined. One guy who joined early made so much beck/quid/money out of the same, and would earn bonus points that would grant him gifts like flying to Greece and taking tours in South Africa and so on, so some pyramid schemes are genuine, others are just ‘pulling a fast one’ at someone’s pockets. It takes alot of foresight to see which are genuine.

]]> By: Mwangi http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/10/when-the-deal-is-too-good-think-twice/comment-page-1/#comment-3599 Mwangi Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:09:25 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/?p=1622#comment-3599 @Kelly: It wasn't blank. I think Gmail deleted the content because you received the same email twice. However, I think that shows the software isn't working......sigh, if it becomes problematic let me know. I get a couple of complaints and I'll get rid of the software. @Kelly: It wasn’t blank. I think Gmail deleted the content because you received the same email twice. However, I think that shows the software isn’t working……sigh, if it becomes problematic let me know. I get a couple of complaints and I’ll get rid of the software.

]]> By: Mwangi http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/10/when-the-deal-is-too-good-think-twice/comment-page-1/#comment-3608 Mwangi Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:30:52 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/?p=1622#comment-3608 @Kelly: Me be old school like that :) @Kelly: Me be old school like that :)

]]> By: Kelly http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/10/when-the-deal-is-too-good-think-twice/comment-page-1/#comment-3607 Kelly Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:27:03 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/?p=1622#comment-3607 I got a blank mail with this as subject:'Thank you very much for leaving a comment' I got a blank mail with this as subject:’Thank you very much for leaving a comment’

]]> By: Kelly http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/10/when-the-deal-is-too-good-think-twice/comment-page-1/#comment-3609 Kelly Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:25:21 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/?p=1622#comment-3609 lol the last time I heard the word 'mlape' used was a while ago. Now I'm not sure it did, but I think it sent a shorter version of the same. Will get back to you on that. lol the last time I heard the word ‘mlape’ used was a while ago. Now I’m not sure it did, but I think it sent a shorter version of the same. Will get back to you on that.

]]> By: Mwangi http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/10/when-the-deal-is-too-good-think-twice/comment-page-1/#comment-3598 Mwangi Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:30:59 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/?p=1622#comment-3598 @Kelly: All races of people are friendlier here, its the environment. I would actually stop and double back to go and help a stranger now if they were lost because I have no fear they have an agenda, they are not desperate to take anything from me. Even when I left it was like that, the word of advice in the City Centre was, "Kunja sura na uendelee tu mbele! Mtu akikuita umlape ka haujamskia na uendelee na nyayo" ( If someone calls you, completely ignore them and keep walking) Btw tell me if you received the same email the second time you left a comment, its only supposed to send one message the first time you leave a comment @Kelly: All races of people are friendlier here, its the environment. I would actually stop and double back to go and help a stranger now if they were lost because I have no fear they have an agenda, they are not desperate to take anything from me.
Even when I left it was like that, the word of advice in the City Centre was, “Kunja sura na uendelee tu mbele! Mtu akikuita umlape ka haujamskia na uendelee na nyayo” ( If someone calls you, completely ignore them and keep walking)
Btw tell me if you received the same email the second time you left a comment, its only supposed to send one message the first time you leave a comment

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