123 Comments »

Silver Agave said:
I don’t have kids, nor am I a lawyer or a family court worker. So maybe I don’t know how this stuff should work out, but doesn’t a parent, in this situation, call the cops and say, “Hey. My abusive ex so and so checked the kid out and hasn’t returned her by her due date,” and with a precedent of violence, doesn’t this like, make the authorities kind of bound to help/work fast?
Maybe she did do all that but forgot to get a lawyer… ?
Is having an emergency air sale a better way to go?
Oh well. Happy Festivus, everyone!
WINNER!! ::   +13
[Reply]

Jack Reply:
December 22nd, 2011 at 11:55 pm
@Silver Agave, It’s her idea from the update to the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act when it states:
“To determine which state has proper jurisdiction to make an “initial determination” of child custody, the UCCJEA proceeds in the following order of priority:
The state which is currently the “home state” of the child, or was the child’s home state within six months immediately before the commencement of child custody proceedings if the child is absent from the state, but a parent or person acting as a parent continues to live in the state, or the state where some sort of sale made by one of the parents went about on the internet within past six month months, too.”
I tried hard to stumble upon it and then found update here:

WINNER!! ::   +13
[Reply]

Jack Reply:
December 22nd, 2011 at 11:58 pm
@Jack, There’s priorities after it, but none of them make too much sense to me like the having-a-sale idea did.
  +5
[Reply]

Silver Agave Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 12:04 pm
@Jack,
Thanks for your research on that update- now it all makes sense!
  +4
[Reply]

Lanna Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 2:01 am
@Silver Agave,
I’m not any of those things either, but I am a word nerd and I noticed she didn’t use any of the legal terms I’ve heard from friends who’ve been through family court:
- She doesn’t say “divorced” or “separated” or “legally separated.” She says “left.”
- She doesn’t say “per our custody agreement” or “as the family court judge ordered.” She says “as he had done twice before.”
She also never mentions any police reports, medical records or restraining orders that would establish physical abuse, nor any psychologists’ reports establishing emotional abuse.
She doesn’t say, “I’ve found a great attorney who will handle the divorce and custody proceedings, but I need to raise money for her retainer – fast.” She says, “It takes a lot of money to hire a really good attorney, so I am putting some of my offerings on sale for the next 48 hours.”
She claims she left her “abusive husband” several months ago, “before the summer,” but it sounds like she hasn’t even shopped for a divorce attorney.
@Jack, does UCCJA count if the parents are not legally separated?
WINNER!! ::   +12
[Reply]

Shit Storm Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 4:22 am
@Lanna,
the words that struck me as out of place were “3 Months of Holistic Business Coaching – regularly $2500, 50% off for $1250 – only two available”
only two available?
I would think if someone were to take my child I would at least sell 4…please note the sarcasm
WINNER!! ::   +9
[Reply]

Anonymous Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 9:18 am
@Lanna, nice work Lanna, this is very telling.
  +4
[Reply]

Jack Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 9:29 am
@Lanna, Still cramming for UCCJA Finals so can’t figure still about it all for sure.
She says, “we are still in the middle of the legal untanglings” which I can’t find til now yet in my Charlie Brown Legal Dictionary Collection.
  +5
[Reply]

Silver Agave Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 12:10 pm
@Lanna,
Yes, I noticed that in the language too. There’s so much obvious wrong that it’s hard to know where to start- so thank you for breaking it down.
  +4
[Reply]

Wyrd Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 1:40 pm
@Lanna,
Yeah, when I read this:
You probably know that before the summer, I left my abusive husband. He was emotionally, psychologically, and physically abusive to me. It was the biggest, bravest thing I have ever done, but it is not without a price: we are still in the middle of the legal untanglings, and it is a long and tedious process.
I interpreted that to mean that there is no actual divorce decree in place yet. The divorce is not finalized.
Apparently, “before the summer” she left him (or he left her). Since then, things have been all kinds of messy and will continue to be such for quite a long time. They may or may not have been in court yet. They probably have, but who can say for sure?
Atm, Caffeinated Elf Rachael may or may not have legal representation. But it has suddenly occurred to her that having some would be a Really Good Idea.
So… it’s time for a sale!
But (and I know I’m stating the very, very obvious here) suppose someone actually buys one of those courses/lessons from her. What’s that coaching call gonna sound like? She coaches you on how to run your “business” (for $1250!!) and then you console her that you’re sure Serenity will be home soon? It’s like… FIFTY SHADES of f*cked up. Just in time for the holidays…
–
Furry cows moo and decompress.
  +5
[Reply]

Wyrd Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 1:42 pm
@Wyrd,
huh… for some reason, my HTML tags did not parse. *shrug*
  +1
[Reply]

Jack Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 2:01 pm
@Wyrd, Smart for her to give the right-time frame for her to put over her help to her students:
“+ up to two hour-long sessions per month”
So maybe “up to” can meet her zero-minute coaching value, or maybe the zero-minute sessions with her are too valuable for the students to afford and are in the $5000 session plan.
  +2
[Reply]

Totally Hurting - Not Reply:
December 28th, 2011 at 8:56 pm
“Things that are difficult to accomplish when the kids are at home playing games and giggling and whatnot = writing. Any writing at all. Sales pages? Nope. Content for classes? Nope.
Oh wait, I can totally chat on Skype, and that’s about it. >.<"
- From Facebook today.
WINNER!! ::   +7
[Reply]

SD Reply:
December 29th, 2011 at 3:34 pm
@Totally Hurting – Not ::
Maybe next she can have a “Send My Kids to Boarding School so I Can Live the Beautiful Life Big Sale” … 50% off all web design … 80% if you’re willing to agree in advance that no actual design work will get done.
[Reply]
# 22 December 2011 at 10:02 pm

Syndicater H8r said:
What do you want for Christmas Salty, you’ve been such a good Droid this year!
WINNER!! ::   +10
[Reply]
# 22 December 2011 at 10:20 pm

Wyrd said:
I like the shirt.
As to the main point: divorces are always hell, except maybe if they’re not contested.
Even if I give the IM-MMO-er the benefit of lots of doubt, rather than automatically assuming that it’s all a pack of lies: if this divorce is actually happening and if there are Real Live kids involved, there isn’t any way for it to turn out even remotely well.
The best we can hope for is that she might be lying about how bad the husband is. Then at least the kids would have one non-evil parent they could go to.
–
Furry cows moo and decompress.
WINNER!! ::   +10
[Reply]

Holy Sh- Reply:
December 22nd, 2011 at 11:03 pm
@Wyrd, if “abuse” turns out to mean “he stopped supporting my unicorn dreams and told me to get a real job” then it’s one kind of awful. If it doesn’t, it’s a whole OTHER kind of awful. Either way, it’s pretty fucked.
  +5
[Reply]

stoic Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 6:48 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
@Wyrd,
My parting shot, I can’t be bothered with the rest of the tossers individually.
But you Wyrd, all I can say to you is keep muuuu-ing, you daft cow.
You’ll find it more to your taste than the real thing, I’m sure–and there’s no accounting for tastes, is there.
Have a look at my own personal tastes, if you dare, but remember always that it is my own back yard and I know it far better than you will ever be able to.
LOSER!! ::   -7
[Reply]

It could happen to anyone Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 8:14 pm
@stoic,
I think you should perhaps consider calling your GP. It might even be worth getting a quick check over by NHS-24 before the end of the holidays. You seem to be having a rough time, so it’s better to get checked out.
Please?
Be safe this Christmas.
  +6
[Reply]

Bill Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 12:16 pm
@Wyrd, rumor has it that the husband became agitated after she was diddling some other man.
  +1
[Reply]
# 22 December 2011 at 10:39 pm

Holy Sh- said:
Oh, and again – two hour long sessions per month for three months with a licensed professional counselor runs me $720. What’s the extra five hundred dollars for, exactly?
  +6
[Reply]

_cartman_ Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 3:38 pm
@Holy Sh-,
What’s the extra five hundred dollars for, exactly?
yeah…well…you know…that’s the premium you pay for mediocrity…premiums are like all the rage on the internet…
“coaching” from a former “high-end nightclub VIP cocktail waitress” for $399/hr [[Freiling, circus 2009...price updates for circus 2011 NA]]…
“coaching” from a beauty school drop out/makeup artist for $1,875/hr [[Andros, circus 2011]]…
“coaching” from a failed rug cleaner turned pseudo-marketer $25K mastermine [[Polish, circus 2010]]
“coaching” from a IM [[one with the universal]] shamman for $100′s of $1000′s/hour [[Budd, circus 2011]] ….
“coaching” from someone [[not mentioning names...Earwig]] busted by the FTC for what amounts to a pyramid scheme…$Priceless [[or is that worth less...I always get confusered]]
Malibu Barbie rants [[she's outraged]] about coaches who haven’t earned the title of coach…ironically though….those she “rants” about…she also shills for [[ie: Budd, Freiling]]…but whateva…that’s minutia…and it’s the thought that counts….
[[sarcasm]]you go girl!![[/sarcasm]]
WINNER!! ::   +7
[Reply]

Wyrd Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 4:03 pm
@_cartman_,
Who is Rachel Jackson?
She’s one half of that classic phrase about the pot calling the kettle black.
Her first bit about Broke Betty was funny. Her second bit about Distracted Diane was less funny because it dragged on too long.
IMHO, she’s actually got some talent for the camera (and for snark. Yay snark!). It’s too bad she’s chosen to “coach” people out of their money with that talent.
A final note on the very ambiguous expression she uses “seen success”. Wow, talk about vague. So if I make meager profit one year, but then have three years full of loss, does that still count as having “seen success”? Sure. But should that really be a valid qualification for me to “coach” others?
I’ve only known of “life coaches” in the formal sense for about six months now, and already I’m sick to death of the whole lot of them. meh
–
Furry cows moo and decompress.
  +4
[Reply]

Head Honcho Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 7:47 pm
@Wyrd, It seems to me she’s only qualified, at this point, to coach people on snarking. At least she’s able to demonstrate some reasonable ability there.
Unfortunately for her, there isn’t that much money to be made in snarking. That’s the problem with all these so-called coaches. Everyone is good enough at something to coach others. Honestly — even a hobby you’ve pursued for years. If you’ve learned a lot enjoying it other people would probably benefit from what you know. But — so few of them warrant the kind of coaching fees these peeps wanna charge. So they turn their vague “success” once or long ago or whatever into money-making coaching cred.
I took stained glass classes from a guy once and learned a lot. He “coached” me to success! I completed a couple of pieces I really liked. But I spent more than I made.
He admitted to me that he started teaching it because he found, with all the time it took and the cost of materials, he would wind up earning about $3 an hour on a commissioned job.
I still gladly paid the $50 fee for the glass. I learned. I had fun. He didn’t get rich but still made more than he could doing it professionally.
The real rub is the “switch” these hucksters pull…sliding from what they do know to what they want to teach because they want to make the “big bucks” when, in reality, they have no reason or right to command them.
  +3
[Reply]

SD Reply:
December 27th, 2011 at 4:07 pm
@Wyrd ::
The first bit isn’t the least bit funny when you consider that she’s disrespecting the same people she’s ripping off. Broke Betty is going on the web using her real name and telling people she’s an Internet celebrity because that’s what vicious beasts like Katie and Rachel are telling her to do. Broke Betty can’t pull it off … and she looks like an idiot scammer to outsiders … and to her friends. Meanwhile she’s losing tons of money she doesn’t have paying for advice that will never work … and pig girl Rachel Jackson thinks it’s funny to mock the horror show she’s working so hard to create in other people’s lives.
“Seen success” is MLM doublespeak for building a downline.
[Reply]

KG Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 5:18 pm
@_cartman_,
Why would this woman need to create a video like this, if she has students continuously pouring in, making her so very financially successful as she claims?
I see that she has a background in nursing (not clear if she finished nursing school or not). At least that profession could have actually helped people.
  +4
[Reply]

Iwant 2B rich Reply:
January 20th, 2012 at 6:11 am
@KG,
Hey, if she was or is a nurse, thank your lucky stars she’s a coach now. Do you want this woman taking care of your elderly family member?
Besides which, nurses have to actually work. They don’t just bullshit you.
If this chickie made it through nursing school and actually made it to the floor of a hospital, God help us all!
  +3
[Reply]
# 22 December 2011 at 11:15 pm

RT said:
I think the Elf needs to buy some coaching sessions with old Brownstein so that he can advise her that the entertainment value here increases by a factor of a thousand if she comes her and attempts to defend herself.
WINNER!! ::   +9
[Reply]
# 23 December 2011 at 12:22 am

stoic said:
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Perhaps your finely honed robotic legal brain can help me with this one, an up-to-the-minute news story from my google, Mr Droid.
My luddite human brain is having trouble with the logic of the US legal decisions here–and it is on topic, broadly at least given your header here: ‘Serenity’
http://www.talktalk.co.uk/news/article/judge-signs-sept-11-blame-ruling/31596/
Do tell, how does this judge expect to collect this massive sum on behalf of the 9/11 victims?
Is there something the US, our kissing cousins here in the UK, is not telling us?
Iran has nuclear capability, just like Pakistan and North Korea. China of course, big daddy of N. Korea–and on its doorstep–is unlikely to tolerate too much fucking about with that very unstable nuclear stuff.
Who’s the daddy now, Mr Droid, now that you lot are in hock up to your eyeballs to the yellow peril?
LOSER!! ::   -5
[Reply]

stoic Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 3:46 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
@SD,
Now here’s a story for you, Mr Droid, which, as ever, you can take or leave–your choice.
I woke up this morning with a big black thorn in my big toe–that wasn’t there when I went to sleep last night.
Curious.
Espacially when I remember Injun Samurai’s little fable about how the strings almost went fully on show, his mention of the wee stick-pin and my response about the dissident Georgi Markov and his sad demise in London in ’78.
Strange that my Met Police tormentors have all been identifying themselves as ‘Daniel’ when I have challenged them toe-to-toe, as is my wont.
Got me thinking about that hoary old Judeo/Christian cultural story about Daniel in the lions den.
Such hubris, Mr Droid.
Good thing I never believed any of that crap–or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I no longer give a toss about the many varieties of tosser in the world.
Which side of that mythical line would you position yourself I wonder, Mr Droid?
Do tell, your listener is ‘nervously’ agog– awaiting your response.
For your listening pleasure–I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the Hot Club of Paris—now this is serenity, complex, endless and truly coming up from the bowels of the ‘street’. Education, of the right sort Mr Droid, you cant’t beat it:
J’attendrai.
LOSER!! ::   -8
[Reply]

stoic Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 4:08 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
@stoic,
Tsk, tsk, censoring again. But no matter–nothing is forever lost in cyber-space so I’m told–somebody somewhere is reading it.
For your pleasure, that desaert theme again::
LOSER!! ::   -7
[Reply]

stoic Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 4:38 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
@stoic,
God, I’m on a roll here. Only one lost post.
Try this one–it gets the message across if you close your eyes towards the end when Tom Cruise (missile–or was that mission impossible?)features amongst the great desirables of HollyWood-style lust icons.
America–you have a lot to answer for in your contribution to the Western Cultural tradition::
Now I’m picking up your stupid punctuation too, how annoying.
I feel a sun tzu quote coming on. Shame the old boy didn’t make any YouTube vids–though that is doubtless coming down the pike to a venue near you, only too soon.
Oh, punny me. Remember the ’80′s riots in Broadwater Farm and what happened to that unfortunate copper, what was his name–Blackstock–there is a memorial to him near where I used to live.
They didn’t dare put it where he dropped and was beheaded by the very angry citizens, way too inflamatory.
We are not a very civil lot, any of us, Mr Droid, once our righteous ire is ignited.
You might do well to remember that. No one is exempt, not even clever clogs such as you might imagine yourself to be.
You might do well to remember that, in your next incarnation.
Happy hunting.
LOSER!! ::   -8
[Reply]

stoic Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 4:49 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
@stoic,
In the absence of YouTube vids from sun tzu there is this one–remember it?
I wanted West Ham’s club song–another oldie but goodie–but found this gem while looking.
Against Milwall, the boot boys of the Brit football world–and glorying in the label, I ask you Mr Droid, how could I resist?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I'm_Forever_Blowing_Bubbles
Its always going to need boots on the ground, you tossers. Video games just ain’t the same at all.
LOSER!! ::   -9
[Reply]

stoic Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 4:59 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
@stoic,
Yeah, West Ham taking liberties against Milwall–a copper who grasps the law of the street–on the ground–how unusual is that these days?
I’m busy for the next hour or so, try this one, that Irish theme again–I just love this one:
LOSER!! ::   -8

stoic Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 6:01 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
@stoic,
I’m back, Mr Droid–almost done.
Will you post the wit and wisdom of Lemmy or shall I?
I will as I’m particular about the exact group of artists:
Of couse there’s another version, one amongst hundreds, where Lemmy sings: “I don’t want to live forever, but apparently I am”
After all the fags, boooze and hard living he can still take the piss out of himself.
What a guy!
Which brings us back to where we started–yet another classic:
http://www.vevo.com/watch/the-who/who-are-you/GBUV70601800
(you might have to copy and paste this link, readers, but you are past spoonfeeding now, I think)
Love that one line, I can almost hear it coming from the broken-toothed mouth of a Glasgow ned (salt of the earth with decent training, minimal boooze and easy on the deep fried mars bars)
WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!—-its a rhetorical question on the street–as in who the fuck do you think you are to fuck with this hooligan?
LOSER!! ::   -7

stoic Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 6:08 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
@stoic,
OK, stoic, we4′re knocking off in half an hour so wish the punters a Merry Christmas and try to be civil.
Happy Hunting, tossers.
Merry Whatever to the rest of you, I’m not at all picky about that one myself–its only external theatre really.
I hang up a piece of mistletoe, me, and leave it up all year–its an old druid belief that there’s magic in them toxic parasitic berries.
I dont give a toss myself–I just like the connection to the ancestors, we’ve all got to have one or maybe not.
LOSER!! ::   -7

Jack Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 9:48 am
@stoic, Happiness. Only can say I think Rheinhardt had good idea to add clarinet later down the road:

Keep listening.
  +2
[Reply]

stoic Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 4:34 pm
@Jack,
I’m agog, Jack. Just agog.
  -1
[Reply]
# 23 December 2011 at 3:23 am

Shit Storm said:
How does that work exactly
Your ex takes your child…and 5 weeks later you decide to get an attorney?
I want to see if I get this clear…
She’s a BUSINESS COACH who doesn’t have $2,500 to hire an attorney…she’s only selling two spots so I assume she only needs $2,500
You simply can’t make this bullshit up
What’s next…
The Andy Jenkins Man Boob Reduction Sale
I can see Andy’s sales video
Hi this is Andy Jenkins and I have man boobs. After years of eating like a pig and absolutely no exercise I’m left with a set of knockers even Dolly Parton would admire
Sure having man boobs has had it’s benefits – there were plenty of nights in hotels all over the US after snorting drugs with my syndicate buddies I would end up going back to my room and feeling myself up…but Franks not happy
CUT AWAY TO Frank Kern: “Andy was the life of the party in the beginning but now all he wants to do is take his shirt off and dance around the hotel room – dude his man boobs sag like a 75 year old woman’s…he needs to get that fixed asap…besides with all the drugs we do more than a few times someone starts feeling him up…especially Ryan Deiss”
ANNOUNCER: Andy needs your help…he needs his man boobs reduced or his position in the syndicate is in jeopardy…Buy Now
WINNER!! ::   +15
[Reply]

Ohh Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 5:23 am
Syndicate of Idiots with Fake Names ™
  +4
[Reply]

stoic Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 6:13 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
@Ohh,
You sure got that one right, Mr Ohh.
For the zennies– try meditating on the enso of your teacher, but not for too long or you will arrive back at Pearl Harbour and that was a bit of a diversionary tactic.
You’ve really got to learn to paint your own.
You can’t beat it.
Experience.
LOSER!! ::   -7
[Reply]

stoic Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 6:58 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
@tossers everywhere,
OK, the absolute last one. Then I’m off–at least for Christmas. I don’t have a gun–as the tossers in the UK know since I am law-abiding and hold no weapons licence. But nevertheless, Knopfler alert, read into it what you will:
We certainly hired the worst ‘covert operators’ we have ever had in this messy but still perfect United Kingdom.
What a shower–wouldn’t know their arse from their elbow if it was pointed out to them.
What a great joke!
I’m getting to like this game.
Toodles.
LOSER!! ::   -9
[Reply]
# 23 December 2011 at 4:58 am

stoic said:
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Censored again–it was a Knopfler alert so here it is again.
The only reason it was censored I think is because they may want to employ the old throw-away gun trick again, (busted with that one now, guys)while I was thinking more on the lines of a magic bullet–gives me a laugh anyway.
I am law-abiding, as these tossers know since they have the database, and don’t hold a current firearms licence.
So, for the wannabe Napoleans out there, remember this one?
and this one?
I’m getting a liking for this game–it could go on forever and ever and ever………..
But even I have my limits and yep, I’ve reached mine, for today at least.
So here’s a last selection from the DJ who ate whatever she found in front of him–even the odd deep fried mars bar, and that was haute cuisine compared to some of the other stuff. And what do ya know, my machine is suddenly working a bit better–pulling out lads?
I’ll avoid the obvious catholic joke about coitus interuptus-(sp?), google is your friend if you’re that picky about spelling–another thing I don’t give much of a toss about:
http://www.muzu.tv/gb/direstraits/brothers-in-arms-music-video/234796/
Now I’m off to visit my teachers grave–bit of a private moment that–so I’ll leave you lot to amuse yourselves.
Have a think about all this while I’m gone–there are consequences for all of us for all of our actions. The buddhists got that one right at least.
And I ain’t done no crime guv, so I ain’t doin no time.
LOSER!! ::   -14
[Reply]

Head Honcho Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 7:52 pm
@stoic, I thought you said you were “off?” You’ve seriously cluttered up this discussion — then said you’re gone and don’t leave. Please?
  +3
[Reply]

Clark Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 8:01 pm
@stoic,
  0
[Reply]

Clark Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 8:08 pm
@stoic,
Maybe my love of stoicism is screwing with my memory, but didn’t you leave smart (and coherent) comments a while ago? What’s up with the word salad? Or do we have two stoics on here? (I mildly remember seeing one Clark who wasn’t me)
  +4
[Reply]

It could happen to anyone Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 8:31 pm
@Clark,
I fear for Stoic. I hope she gets whatever assistance she needs this Christmas.
WINNER!! ::   +9
[Reply]

KG Reply:
December 24th, 2011 at 8:20 am
@It could happen to anyone,
Me too. I wish her peace.
  +4
[Reply]

Jack Reply:
December 25th, 2011 at 10:08 am
@It could happen to anyone, Just as point of reference:
12/21/2011 4:35 AM:
http://saltydroid.info/harmonic-indigence/#comment-74395
Stoic says he/she losing it
12/21/2011: 12:39 PM – 6:48 PM
http://saltydroid.info/kim-and-sandy-episode-4-the-dead/#comment-74502
Met Police ramblings.
+SD says “leave me out of it”, so I want to respect the wish now and get back on track here.
  +3
[Reply]

Anonymous Reply:
December 25th, 2011 at 1:11 pm
@Jack,
Understood. Hadn’t planned to say any more, just couldn’t stand by & say nothing, much like yourself. I think you & I share the same concerns. But it’s back to Scammers we shall go!
  +3
[Reply]

It could happen to anyone Reply:
December 25th, 2011 at 1:15 pm
@It could happen to anyone
…that was me. Too much eggnog…
  +4

Jack Reply:
December 26th, 2011 at 4:15 pm
@It could happen to anyone, Also, sounds like Stoic’s been thru this before and knows what works for him/her.
  +4
# 23 December 2011 at 7:25 am

Al said:
Oh my gawsh, little Serenity hasn’t seen any YouTube videos for 5 weeks!!! That thar is reason enuff to sign up for life crouching ASAP – with emails supports!!
I need me some Epic Mealtime!!
WINNER!! ::   +10
[Reply]
# 23 December 2011 at 8:23 am

Glad I Was Broke said:
Well, based on previous posts here, one may ask several questions first, such as:
1)Was Rachael even married?
2)Did Rachael’s husband actually leave her?
3)Does Rachael really have a child named Serenity?
4)Did her ex really took Serenity?
5)How much attorney can $5000 buy you? In my neck of the woods, they bill about $250/hour.
You may also wonder:
1) Why not solve this problem “in-house”?
2) Why would not an ultra-successful blogger have enough money to cover legal proceedings or even have a lawyer on a retainer?
3) Why not borrow money from your tight, fevirishly loyal IM friends? (Insert sarcasm as needed)
4)Why do people not learn from their fellow fallen female bloggers?
Just wondering….
WINNER!! ::   +12
[Reply]

Lanna Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 11:46 am
@Glad I Was Broke,
Regarding #1, in “a href=”http://saltydroid.info/decaffeinated-self/#comment-73440″>this video, which @_cartman_ found, she calls him a “very supportive husband.” Her reluctance to use the words “divorce” or “custody” here makes me think she’s not quite ready for outright lies, just bending and omitting the truth. If she wasn’t actually married, I think she would’ve said something purposefully vague like, “I have a great guy who’s very supportive,” in the video.
I’m adding:
6) I get that he’s an anime nerd and she’s a nerd-for-pay, but did they really name their daughter after the ship in “Firefly”? What, were Zoe, Inara, Kaylee and River too mainstream?
7) Most lawyers offer a free consultation, so why doesn’t she say she’s done that part?
8) As a Holistic Uterus-Bearer, why doesn’t she use the Law of Attraction to manifest some monies in a way that maintains her dignity?
WINNER!! ::   +9
[Reply]

Silver Agave Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 12:02 pm
@Lanna,
These are all good questions, and #6 is the one I’ve been afraid to ask, because I don’t want to know the answer.
  +3
[Reply]

Lanna Reply:
December 24th, 2011 at 11:47 pm
@Silver Agave,

Simon: I always thought that Serenity had a vaguely funereal sound to it.
Also, 9) Why would she trust a physically abusive person to watch her child, overnight, unsupervised?
  0
[Reply]
# 23 December 2011 at 8:32 am

Cosmic Connie said:
“Dearest Darling?” Has the elf? been taking copywriting lessons from the Nigerian email scammers? (Okay, I know I use the term “Dear Ones” a lot in my blog, but that’s a mockery of the channelers whose “entities” often begin their messages that way.) You’re right; that IS the bottom of the barrel.
WINNER!! ::   +10
[Reply]
# 23 December 2011 at 8:53 am

Kerry said:
I do not understand stoic at all. What is stoic trying to communicate? Why a gazillion youtube imbeds? Am I missing something?
WINNER!! ::   +17
[Reply]

SD Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 2:58 pm
@Kerry ::
I think she’s trying to communicate that she’s totally fucking lost it.
Message received.
[Reply]

stoic Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 4:37 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
@Kerry,
Its all there if you read it right. You just have to make your choice and click the button.
LOSER!! ::   -9
[Reply]

Head Honcho Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 7:54 pm
@stoic, Choice made.
  +5
[Reply]

Shit Storm Reply:
December 26th, 2011 at 9:03 am
@stoic,
Or we can just ignore you…which is so much more fun
guess what Einstein…we get it…you don’t know shit
  0
[Reply]
# 23 December 2011 at 10:42 am

Perry O. Veritas said:
I believe you referenced this in one of your more recent posts Salty, but it bears worth repeating.
From Dr. Stout’s book, “The Sociopath Next Door”:
[On how to recognize a sociopath]
She states, “The most reliable sign, the most universal behavior of unscrupulous people is not directed, as one might imagine, at our fearfulness. It is, perversely, an appeal to our sympathy.”
a.k.a.: The Pity Play. A sociopath ALWAYS wants you to feel sorry for them.
WINNER!! ::   +11
[Reply]

LisaSimpson Reply:
December 27th, 2011 at 1:08 pm
@Perry O. Veritas, last summer it was “my basement flooded and I need to replace my husband’s work tools” (seriously). This year it’s “I’ve left him and now he has my kid.” What will next year look like?
  +4
[Reply]
# 23 December 2011 at 1:20 pm

Yakaru said:
That’s insane. It’s child abuse. What is it with these people? And if she has the support of her family and friends, why don’t they loan her some money for a lawyer before she airs her dirty laundry in public? And why doesn’t she just get a freaking lawyer and work out how to pay it later?
And why are these sickos such atrocious parents? I know Rachel/Rhiannon would say what do I know about her, but sorry bubs, you write about how much you need her, and that’s sick. Kids need their parents, not the other way round like you see it.
And kids should be kids, not substitute friends there for their parent’s infantile emotional satisfaction.
On the evidence presented, that kid is probably in the best place at the moment.
If anyone sees a similar ad from the father, call the child protection services.
WINNER!! ::   +10
[Reply]

SD Reply:
December 27th, 2011 at 4:20 pm
@Yakaru ::
“If anyone sees a similar ad from the father, call the child protection services.”
I think if someone made that call they’d find out that other someones had already made that call.
[Reply]
# 23 December 2011 at 5:41 pm

MobyMom said:
Call me cynical or whatever, but how do we know there is a kid, or a husband or that any word of it is true at all? I had a pretty well known IMaturd who owed me money once and when I had my lawyer call him he put out to his list that he had to raise money to help a dear friend who was losing their home. These unrepentant reprobates have lied about their hosted servers, their “assistants”, their horrible illnesses, and anything else they think will make them look more “human” and user friendly.
So maybe we shouldn’t be looking up the non custodial parental rights or speculating on attorney’s but actually asking if this kid even exists, or if she has a husband (abusive or not) at all.
And that begs the question of how many rational, thinking, serious business people would ever want a ding a ling who can’t write either the Queen’s English or American Standard, and is too scatter brained and dead broke to hire an attorney with her kids at stake. If she’s so great, why doesn’t she have a few grand in the bank to hire an attorney? So how much value is her “coaching” even at half price?
She lost me at “dearest darling” (can we say ewwww?) but ummm yeah – with a sales letter like that I don’t think I’d buy AA batteries from her for 10 cents on Christmas Eve – and those of us who DO have kids know how essential those things are with the “Some Assembly Required” presents.
WINNER!! ::   +8
[Reply]

Anna Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 8:50 pm
@MobyMom, There’s plenty of internet evidence that the husband exists or existed. Just going back through her tweets and pictures on twitter, there are definitely kids. I wonder some of the same things as Lanna and others about whether anyone has left anyone…Not because I care about their personal lives, but because of the sales pitch. If she has a product or service to sell, she should sell it on its own merits. But she doesn’t, so apparently tugging on the heartstrings of her targeted audience (the over-familiarity “Darlings”, the fake scarcity “only 2 available” and the play for sympathy “help me bring my daughter home” are apparently how one flogs a frauduct. I also wonder what is up with the name/identity/branding. With her inability to handle any “legal untanglings” I doubt she’s gone to the effort of legally changing her name. Is “Rhiannon Llewellyn” possibly the name of her silly pirate conference persona and has she decide that’s who she wants to be all the time?
She’s a small fish in this IM pond, but this puzzle seems more twisted than Naomi Dunford’s spider web.
  +6
[Reply]

Lanna Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 10:28 pm
@Anna,
Since I see her using weasel words instead of lying outright, I think there is some truth to them living apart and maybe even him keeping their daughter. But I imagine the real story going something like this: Rachael moved in with her sister because there was more space for all her kids in her sister’s condo than at Troy’s trailer, but Troy insists that his trailer is good enough for his daughter and she’s going to stay with him. Rachael’s kids can stay wherever.
Obviously Rachael is using the psychopath pity party crap to try to sell shit, but I also see her as a victim transitioning into being a villain. “But the one thing I need is an attorney” smacks of the “one more hit” – “the next module will tell me what I need to become rich” delusions I hear from the IM/MMO/MLM addicts I know. Like an attorney will ride in on a big white horse and sort out her whole life. (That’s why Jason doesn’t want to be an attorney anymore, isn’t it, Salty? Failed the equestrian part. Scared of horses.)
No, the “Rhiannon Llewellyn” BS doesn’t come from the gamer nerd part. Even LARPers can tell the difference between real life and the game.
It comes from the New Wage stuff. The first reason to change one’s name is to match one’s newfound spiritual path, to get one’s Yogi name or Hawaiian name or Native American name or whatever.
Wikipedia says both Rhiannon and Llewellyn are of Welsh origin. I imagine that as an American hillbilly descended from Welsh folks, Rachael was drawn to Wales’ particular brand of witchcraft.
The second woo-woo reason to change one’s name is to revise one’s numerological direction, although usually people choose less radical changes like using shortened versions of their names or using middle names or initials. I googled “free name numerology” and selected iDivine.com for my research purposes. For Rachael Acklin, “Achievement is your motivating force.” For Rhiannon Llewellyn, “Love, giving it and getting it is your main concern.” For Rachael, “Business, power and money are in your blood.” For Rhiannon, “Family and home life are your main interests.” For both, “People seem to be drawn to you for absolution.”
Shit, it’s like iDivine.com can see into Rachael’s scam perfectly! Put on a facade as a loving, family-oriented person so you can achieve your business power and money! Scam the people desperate for absolution.
WINNER!! ::   +9
[Reply]

Wyrd Reply:
December 23rd, 2011 at 11:56 pm
@Lanna,
I agree, Rachel’s using sociopath pity party. IMHO, she’s trying to copy the Naomi style of doing business. It’s probably not working for her though.
My current working theory about A-team vs. B-team is that in order to have any real shot of being on the A-team, you have to actually be a sociopath. Specifically, the person has to be totally willing, down to the very fiber of their being, to lie baldly over and over again. It’s like the land-shark bit on the old SNL episodes. They just keep trying different lies until finally something works. Then they eat.
The reason why the lies work is because they are convincing. The reason why the lies are convincing is because there is no niggling inner conscience telling the liar that they are doing something wrong. So we, the audience, don’t get the benefit of any sort of “tell” or give-away that the person is lying through their teeth.
Rachel is not yet as suckcessful as Naomi because Rachel isn’t actually a sociopath. I don’t know if it’s even possible to “learn” to be a sociopath. But if we watch B-team members like Rachel (or for that matter Dave Navarro) long enough, maybe we’ll find out.
As to the lawyer-as-white-knight thing you reference: that’s a really good point. For some reason, I missed that. Many people, in their hour of need, might need a really good doctor and/or lawyer. There is a tendency for that person to be cast in the role of super-hero. for some reason, even though I’ve seen examples of people doing this to lawyers (treating them like heroes) both in fiction and in real life, the examples didn’t register with me until you made your point.
Me, personally, I don’t think I could ever see a lawyer as a white knight–not even Salty, cool though he undoubtedly is. Lawyers always look to me either evil-like-a-sociopath or else like a normal human doing the best they can to represent their client. @SD is the rare exception who doesn’t fit either of those–he’s certainly not evil. And his focus extends beyond merely zealously representing some client. His weird because he’s actually interested in the greater good. Crazy. (But crazy in a good way.)
–
Furry cows moo and decompress.
  +6
[Reply]

Yakaru Reply:
December 24th, 2011 at 1:02 am
@Wyrd,
I’ve known quite a few lawyers who do good things. In Australia I knew of many who represented environmental activists, Aboriginal victims of Australia’s racist legal system, asylum seekers who are victims of Australia’s racist immigration laws, (incidentally there’s also a strongly racist side to Australia’s environmental destruction too – mining, clear-felling and poisoning Aboriginal land).
Amnesty International was set up by lawyers, and I’m sure there are plenty of equivalent examples from the US.
Salty is of course unique among them in that he’s the only who knows how to morph into a robot – a useful skill when dealing directly with psychopaths, as well as being an unusually fine judge of character. (I read PZ Myers’ blog for years without noticing that he’s a petty minded thug. I thought his appearance here was a case of an overworked prof who made a lazy error and was too stingy to admit it. I thought Salty had misunderstood him, but watching the guy since then, I’ve seen him lay the boots in to innocent and powerless people. Fine when he does it to the Catholic League. Not fine when he does it to gelato salesmen, for example.)
  +3
[Reply]

Lanna Reply:
December 25th, 2011 at 11:45 pm
@Wyrd,
I was thinking about this last night. I had the following typed up to post:
I don’t know about learning to be a sociopath, but I think people can become indifferent to lying, through habit, and also rationalize all their lies. For instance, at the light grey end of the indifference continuum, professional receptionists can lie about their bosses’ whereabouts without batting an eye. It’s part of the routine.
As far as the rationalization, it can grow to stuff like, “When I sell a million copies of this ebook, I’ll be a millionaire, so it’s OK if I say I’m a millionaire in order to sell this ebook. It’ll become true.” I knew a man who seemed to be so good at the “visualize living your success” branch of LoA that often he seemed to have himself fooled into believing he was already successful.
But then I thought it was too speculative and too far from the main topic. Tonight I took a look at what’s new at Rachael’s blog, and I read this:
. . . experience your happiness in reverse – anticipate what good will come, and live in its reality now.
So I guess I was right on target after all. It’s OK if Rachael says she’s a Holistic Business Coach, Business & Branding Coach, Creative Director & CEO, and Curator & Community Manager, because she’s living the reality of her future suckcess!
I think whatever business success a person can achieve through becoming indifferent to lying and rationalizing the lies comes at a heavy toll. The habitual lying makes it hard for anyone to trust you, so it’s hard to form genuine non-transactional relationships. Someone, maybe Alison, said how IM success is about choosing fake, transactional relationships over real ones.
The rationalization – building up a wall of fictions to insulate yourself from the truth – is fine as long as the wall is never demolished. Heaven help the liar who has to sort through the cognitive dissonance of not being the person he tells himself he is. (Heaven and also non-Tim-Brownson-type licensed professionals.)
  +5
[Reply]

Cosmic Connie Reply:
December 26th, 2011 at 12:30 pm
@Lanna, And one step beyond “visualizing” something is “remembering” it, further blurring the line between truth and fabrication. Look, Mr. Fire shows you how it’s done: http://blog.mrfire.com/remembering-your-future-past/ The takeaway from that is: “It’s easier to remember than to create.” What’s even easier is doing both at once: creating fake memories.
  +3

Jack Reply:
December 26th, 2011 at 12:48 pm
@Cosmic Connie, World Hunger”…SOLVED!
  +2

Anna Reply:
December 24th, 2011 at 10:26 am
@Lanna, I think though they’d moved out of the trailer. The address that I found online linked to both of them is a real house which it looks like they bought at auction (someone bought it at auction per Trulia) in the time frame consistent with when she made such a big deal about moving out of the horrible to trailer to the all important “single family house”. In this recent ridiculousness, she says she left him. In the earlier crap on her blog she says she asked him to leave and that he did. Unclear if one/both/either of them are still living there as more recently on twitter I think she’s said her grandfather is her landlord. I didn’t think she was confused about actually being her (possibly) pirate identity. Your analysis regarding coming from Welsh hillbilly stock and being drawn to Welsh witchcraft seem right on. The reason I thought about assuming the pirate name is that back in college I knew a bunch of SCA people and while I wasn’t in it, some of my friends’ friends I only knew as their SCA names.
  +4
[Reply]

Lanna Reply:
December 25th, 2011 at 11:56 pm
@Anna,
Haha, wow, there actually was a trailer? Thanks for taking point on the research on this one! I was just taking broad swipes at her for being a hillbilly when I filled in the details on that living-apart-but-not-separated vignette.
  +4
[Reply]
# 23 December 2011 at 8:22 pm

Clark said:
I know, I know. I preach to stay away from issues you don’t completely understand and I’m always rather the last to get it right than the first to get it wrong. I’m not choosing sides w/o knowing the father, but there are some things that make me doubt the validity of her pitch:
It’s about my little girl Serenity
First flag, the kid is named like a female hygiene product.
You probably know that before the summer, I left my abusive husband. He was emotionally, psychologically, and physically abusive to me.
First flag lowered to half-mast, going through any kind of abuse can be very hard and I wouldn’t hold a person going through this to the same standards of scrutiny.
Why not lower the flag all the way? One, she might lie. Two, personal biases can be extremely strong – maybe she actually believes not supporting her business makes her husband abusive. I’ve seen people mis-remember past events in weirder ways before.
My little girl. My sweet stubborn beautiful Serenity. And he will not let her come home.
Second flag up. This sounds almost delusional self-centered to me. It’s her little girl and her place is home. What about the guy? What about the reader, who will have to decide whom to believe? There’s no indication that she understands how her position isn’t automatically the central one.
And what good is a post without a trinity, so here’s the third red flag: The wording.
Dearest, love, light, Serenity, the if-thats-okay-with-you-pitch…
I get the impression that she really wants to appear as a kind-hearted spirit whose every action is benignly beneficial to the well-being of everyone. Sadly, this attitude is hard to use in a sort-of chaotic, indifferent world where right doesn’t make might…or wealth, and I could see how it’s easy to misinterpret or misrepresent events so they fit ones narrative of binary ethics.
In conclusion, if her story is true and the father is as unstable (or more) as she appears to be, she has my full support* and I hope the kid will be okay. But given the circumstances this letter was written in, it screams personal bias so loudly that I can’t really take any of it seriously.
*I’d go for the holistic business coaching, but the “holistic” makes me assume that she’ll also take a look at my personal life and take issue with all the cocaine and whores. And the leopard…yeah, she’ll certainly have a problem with the leopard. Nah, I’ll stay with books then.
  +3
[Reply]
# 23 December 2011 at 9:05 pm

Jack said:


“Sadly, this attitude is hard to use in a sort-of chaotic, indifferent world where right doesn’t make might…or wealth, and I could see how it’s easy to misinterpret or misrepresent events so they fit ones narrative of binary ethics.”
Crystal Cox has the mastery of love and light and is fullest of it.
  +4
[Reply]
# 23 December 2011 at 9:45 pm

Jack said:
I started to think now about that maybe these New-Wage twisty-puzzles ar from The Secret(TM) Jeff Walker limited-access-only PLF-idea, because randomly I walked about YouTube to find out more about love and light and found out about a man who apparently-allegedly lives out dot-by-PLF-dot what I think must be a big PLF-New-Wage-Dream of many SD category-people:
**Product Love And Light Formula**
Step 1: Become a Bear That Wasn’t

Step 2: Change Name – Prelude To The Big $$
Video Date: 9/19/2009

Step 3: Drop The Baggage
Video Date: 9/20/2009

Step 4: Compound-Manipulate Others For Believing In Having Special Powers

Step 5: Make Money$$ All Ways Possible

Step 6: Cultify & Multiply
Video Date: 12/21/2011

  +2
[Reply]

stoic Reply:
December 24th, 2011 at 10:26 am
@Jack,
You are such a cutie, you are.
  0
[Reply]

Jack Reply:
December 24th, 2011 at 11:46 am
@stoic, Hope you get things sorted, whatever it means to do it for you.
  +3
[Reply]

stoic Reply:
December 24th, 2011 at 3:21 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
@Jack,
You kmow what you can do with your mock concern, Jack, or should I spell it out for you, in a Venn diagram perhaps?
LOSER!! ::   -10
[Reply]

Jack Reply:
December 24th, 2011 at 4:18 pm
@stoic, Wish it were mock concern, stoic, but have lost too many friends to suicide that sound like where you are now. Last one hung himself in a public park.
  +5
[Reply]

Jack Reply:
December 24th, 2011 at 4:37 pm
@Jack, And for explaining about it more…he had newspapers, magazine clippings, diagrams, computer running with odd messages, was seeing visions of dead founder of one of the local 12-step groups, was channeling thru a new name “Kashi” (which he got off cereal box), was convinced FBI had recruited him to solve big conspiracy cases, reenacted scenes of Natural Born Killers in local grocery store.
And was brilliant musician. But in very much pain.
If you think that’s basis for mockery, then you’ve more than “lost it”, you’ve become as sociopathic and psychopathic as most people written about on this site…which obviously I don’t believe at all.
So believe what you will. I’ll care about you anyhow, old lady (which I’m not very-much convinced you really are, btw).
  +5

Jack Reply:
December 24th, 2011 at 4:22 pm
@stoic, Mock concern is OK if it works for you, though, because it isn’t changing what I feel now which is real sadness for losing a member of this community who provided much thoughtful insight.
  +4
[Reply]

Luther Reply:
December 24th, 2011 at 6:01 pm
@Jack, Hi Jack, I was thinking whoever took stoic needs to bring the real stoic back because we all miss the real stoic. Also maybe the real stoic misses stoic, probably.
It reminds me of the time when I was 8 years old and my Uncle Earl drove over my collie-dog, Wormy, in his old pickup truck. I still don’t understand how my uncle got a drivers license, being nearsighted in one eye, especially since he only had one eye.
Anyhow, mom and dad knew how upset I would be so they didn’t tell me right away. They just went out to find another dog that looked like Wormy hoping I’d never notice any difference. Well, they got a new dog and brought it home before I even got home from school that day.
I always wondered why Wormy stopped answering to its name all of a sudden. Then, the truth came out about three years later when I was looking through a dog picture book, and I saw a picture of Wormy, and instead of “collie” it said “poodle.”
I cried and cried, and then mom and dad lied again to make me less sad, and they said the real Wormy was alive and doing fine but they had needed some money so they sold him to a research lab. Then we all went out for ice cream.
  +2

stoic Reply:
December 25th, 2011 at 6:39 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
@stoic,
Here ya go Jack, I’m really sick of this game so I’ll spell it out for ya–but in my own style, I never did go much on the Venn diagrams:
You have to watch it all, but a man of your smarts can find the links yourself, I’m sure:
Here’s the short, live version. Consider it my swan song and read into it whatever you want. Its no one elses business what you read into it anyway.
(personally I haven’t read your responses above, I may do that later, after I’ve my cooked my bubble, maybe not–depends, as always, on how I feel–which is also none of your business.)
LOSER!! ::   -8
[Reply]

Jack Reply:
December 25th, 2011 at 7:32 am
@stoic, “how I feel–which is also none of your business”. Obviously. But it’s diff than how I feel, but narcissist can’t understand that.
Been thru things enough to know that. I also take that you don’t tihnk much of me, too. Guess what? I don’t care. Doesn’t matter. Still sad. And I have my own right to say it.
  +5

Jack Reply:
December 27th, 2011 at 11:29 am
@stoic, If you still read here, I apologize for my harshness.
  0
# 23 December 2011 at 11:32 pm

Confuzzled said:
I am very confused. In that creepy sales letter she’s offering web design services alongside her Holistic Business Coaching. Yet her website contains no gallery of her work – not even testimonials and links from web design clients. Her prices seem ridiculously steep to not have even a page of her website dedicated to showing a potential client her design skills.
WINNER!! ::   +9
[Reply]

Bob Reply:
December 26th, 2011 at 3:19 am
@Confuzzled, Good point. In that case, maybe she should offer people her bullshit skills, because she has loads of examples there.
  +2
[Reply]
# 25 December 2011 at 2:28 pm

Brendon? said:
Just curious why Brendon Burchard has never had a featured post on this site – yet he mails to his audience for many of the big names you purport to despise (Koenigs, Pagen, Walker…)
  0
[Reply]

Jack Reply:
December 26th, 2011 at 3:18 pm
@Brendon?, Did the quantum apocolypse people send you over to here?
  +1
[Reply]

Wolfgang Dudesmith Reply:
December 26th, 2011 at 3:18 pm
@Brendon?, Maybe because the Droid is only one fake robot and there are only so many fake hours in a fake day. But scientists have now determined that it is entirely possible for non-fake-robots to also write blog posts, too, so get crankin’!
  +4
[Reply]

Slowly Waking Reply:
December 26th, 2011 at 6:42 pm
@Brendon?,
http://saltydroid.info/tag/brendon-burchard/
  +4
[Reply]

Lanna Reply:
December 27th, 2011 at 1:02 am
@Brendon?,
If Salty does a Brendan Burchard story, what’s the angle? Burchard’s not a household name like Tony Robbins or Deepak Chopra, where people will be shocked – shocked, I tell ya – to find him cavorting with scammers. Yet, the big-name testimonials and $25k speaking fee on his Speaking page suggest there’s truthiness to his success; he’s not an obvious fraud like too-poor-to-afford-an-attorney Holistic Business Coach Rachael Acklin. He falls into that gray area Pamela Slim inhabits, where there’s no sizzle in the headline and not enough steak in the story.
Salty’s already documented Burchard appearing in Mike Koenigs’ crap and hawking frauducts for Eben Pagan and Dean Graziosi, twice. Commentators here uncovered the truth behind his NYT Bestseller claims, possible plagiarism, overpricing his stuff and overestimating bizopp earnings. One the other side of the Burchard coin, Amazon shows he was a change management consultant at Accenture and has written three books. One is in its fourth edition, and one was published by a HarperCollins imprint and translated into Spanish. Sounds too legit to be featured here.
  +3
[Reply]

Maybe not Reply:
December 27th, 2011 at 6:36 am
@Lanna,
Just to reference your second paragraph about “the other side of the Burchard coin”…
HarperOne (Harper Collins) published 7 Spiritual Laws of Superheros by Chopra. So, being published by a ‘reputable’ publisher doesn’t really equate to legitimacy. Further, having many editions of a book doesn’t equate to legitimacy either. Scientology updates their books and essentially forces the purchase of newly revised editions to their members. Even the quantity of books, namely, the action of writing three books, doesn’t suggest anything as to legitimacy (and you can find examples of that on your own). Nor does being a ‘change management consultant’ at Accenture suggest legitimacy. Working at Accenture is not a ticket to freedom from inquiry. (It’s not like Accenture hasn’t ever had an issue — for example, the $63.7 million it agreed to pay for alleged kickbacks they received, inflated prices they created, and for rigged bids on federal IT contracts. [Search 'Accenture 64 million' in Google]. Accenture claims the settlement isn’t an admission of guilt. But would court and lawyer costs really be greater than $64 million if one can prove they are innocent? Or perhaps they had more to lose if found guilty? Maybe Salty can enlighten us. But in any case, can we really say that Accenture has never made a poor hire? I’m not saying Burchard was a poor hire, I’m asking if it’s possible that they could make a poor hire. [And all you NLP freaks, when I say 'I'm not saying' -- I really mean I'M NOT SAYING THAT -- it's not an embedded command.])
Also, I’m not arguing for or against Burchard, Accenture, Publishers, or anything of the sort. I’m simply trying to make a valid arguments AGAINST the position you, Lanna, suggest that is ‘the other side of the Burchard coin’. If we’re going to be making claims as to why someone is legitimate, we should arguably be able to do so without easily bringing equally-weighted claims negating their possible legitimacy.
So, when you say: “Sounds too legit to be featured here.”, I’m suggesting your reasoning doesn’t make a strong enough case for his legitimacy. Again, I’m not saying he’s done anything wrong, nor am I actually suggesting anything about Burchard. I’m saying what you’ve suggested about Burchard doesn’t actually make him legitimate.
In fact, when you typed: “Sounds too legit to be featured here.”, I think you’re right — but I’d put more emphasis on the word ‘Sounds’. He ‘sounds’ too legit to be featured here. But it’s difficult to claim he IS too legit to be featured here. And that’s probably where the distinction lays. Something SEEMING a certain a way, and something BEING a certain way, are two different things. If we could prove that he IS too legit to be featured here, why would he be featured here? He wouldn’t. Clearly there’s something that warrants his appearance on this site. I will say, what he’s done certainly gives him the APPEARANCE of legitimacy and POSITIONS him as legitimate. But then the question is: What determines ‘real’ legitimacy? (That’s another discussion for another day.) All I can find is equally-weighted arguments AGAINST Harper Publishing, Accenture, quantity of books, number of editions, speaking fees (and much, much more!) being symbols of legitimacy.
  +4
[Reply]

Jack Reply:
December 27th, 2011 at 10:09 am
@Maybe not,

“But then the question is: What determines ‘real’ legitimacy?”
To me – you have the angle found right there – here’s mr. Burchard with all his “legitimacy” & Testimonials from such as:
—Yuca Hung, Director of Worldwide Organizational Development,
LEVI STRAUSS & COMPANY
—Jennifer Gentusa, SONY PICTURES
—LT Brett St. George, THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY
— Rob Parker, CEO of Kiwanis International
Giving the scammers the credibility boost that continues to take them dangerously mainstream – an angle used several times here on the SD blog:
CNN category
NBC category
abc category
Suddenly scammers-on-the fringe (Pagan, Graziosi, etc), get unearned propulsion into the minds of potential victims through perceived credible catalyst of mr. Burchard…isn’t the idea much more dangerous than scammers-on-the-fringe in isolation?
  +2
[Reply]

Anonymous Reply:
December 27th, 2011 at 3:01 pm
@Jack, I’d venture to say those testimonials are pretty weak and to anyone who takes a closer look, they fail to provide any legitimacy. For one thing, BB purposely leaves his relationship with these people vague so the reader is allowed to assume big name legit companies hire BB and love him. I’m calling BS! Jennifer Gentusa of Sony is a promotions manager, not a decision maker who hires speakers to motivate Sony execs. Samegoes for the Navy LT … Not very high ranking and def not making Navy training decisions.
If you read the Morgan Stanley testimonial carefully, you’ll note the guy references BB “coming to our town”–so that proves he was not hired to do work for Morgan Stanley and the guy saw him at some other, probably much less impressive event. If BB were on the up-and-up, he would label that testimonial properly…i.e. BS conference participant.
  +4
[Reply]

Jack Reply:
December 27th, 2011 at 3:13 pm
@, Nice point. So mr. Buchard doing BB-style Brand Abuse, eh? Maybe I can find some temp-workers at Fortune 500 comps for testimonial-getting for my scrolling captcha program.
  +3

Lanna Reply:
December 27th, 2011 at 2:49 pm
@Maybe not,
That was a lot of words to say I should’ve put SOUNDS. Burchard SOUNDS too legit to be featured here. Better?
@Jack,
OK, the cloak of legitimacy angle, I like that. Should we take @Wolfgang Dudesmith’s idea and write this up ourselves? Does Burchard get his own post or is he part of an ensemble post? Or his own post as part of a series of similar legitimacy cloakers? Who’s on that list besides Burchard and Slim?
  +1
[Reply]

Morris Kode Reply:
December 27th, 2011 at 5:43 pm
@Lanna, Watch this – a live, public sales pitch intended to instill confidence – and decide just how “legitimate” Brendan Burchard “sounds.”
Today’s word combo is: shallow, empty, hollow. Secondary word combo: ocean, backdrop, irrelevant, manipulative.
  +1
[Reply]

SD Reply:
December 27th, 2011 at 5:55 pm
@Morris Kode ::
One tip I have for Brendon about making good videos … don’t give tips about making good videos while being filmed next to someone finger banging a beer.

Lanna Reply:
December 27th, 2011 at 6:38 pm
@Morris Kode,
Brendon sounds fabulous! When he’s done with his beer-fingering bear-type men, I’d love to talk to him about volume and lift, because I don’t think this new root booster is working as well as the salon girl promised. Brendon could probably also help me pick out a scarf that matches my coloring. We could start drinking mojitos at brunch, make “tunnel” innuendos for hours, and later, after we throw up pills and vodka in the restroom at Berlin, we could have a long, emotional talk about how guilty he feels about lending his credibility to scammers like Dean Graziosi. Our mascara would smear all over our cheeks, we’d hug, and he’d promise to never ever do it again.
  +5

Morris Kode Reply:
December 27th, 2011 at 8:13 pm
@Lanna, When you contemplated “how guilty he feels about lending his credibility,” you must be referring to the (cough) “credibility” someone else lent him.
In “French for trade union” vernacular, the technical term for that would be, “the trickle around effect.”
On the other hand, if Brendon would stick with just doling out fashion accessorizing advice like you suggested, we could refer to it as “French for suede union,” and be done with him.
  +3

Anonymous Reply:
December 28th, 2011 at 6:36 am
@Morris Kode, Sandy is so turned on by this little guy
  +3

Lanna Reply:
December 28th, 2011 at 3:44 pm
@Morris Kode,
OK, so how did BB fall in with the Syndicate? Who lent him credibility to begin with? I don’t feel like researching a whole BB timeline today.
@Anonymous,
Yeah, he’s got a glib charisma to him. I’d like to think that’s because he’s the next Carson Kressley, but we’ve been told that’s another sign of a psychopath/sociopath.
  -1

Morris Kode Reply:
December 28th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
@Lanna, I have no idea how he fell in with the syndicate crew. Maybe it was beer, bear hugs, and sweet nothings whispered via autoresponder. Or maybe it was the size of the list. Like they say, “size matters.”
Burchard is just a retooled Eben Pagan, except with personality, although even a box of rusty nails would beat Pagan for personality. Either of those two could knock out a 38 volume encyclopedia on the “various approaches and strategies” for lacing up your shoes.
@Anonymous, Sandy does appear to have that “smitten” look about him. The ‘beerplay’ screams (or perhaps in this case, “giggles”) Freudian. Imagine though, a whale romancing a sardine.
  +1

Scamsnotguns Reply:
November 12th, 2012 at 9:51 am
What the HELL is Andy Jenkins doing with his flip-off finger in the beer glass? That is just gross and very distracting. YUCK!
I am sorely disappointed in Brendan for slumming with the Syndicate dudes. I met him once and he seemed like a nice enough guy..bit on the “fey” side, but bubbly in a kind of “happy idiot” way. Stunned that he allows himself to roll in syndicate slime.
Sad…
  0

SD Reply:
December 27th, 2011 at 5:33 pm
@Brendon? ::
Anyone who regularly promotes the people that I “purport to despise” … is someone I despise.
He hasn’t featured in his own post because he’s so white bread boring to me … and the right moment has yet to present itself. Same with Ed Dale :: John Carlton :: Bill Glazer :: Kevin Trudeau … yada yada … hundreds of others. Everything here is about everyone involved in this game … named and unnamed. Brendon is involved … no question.
[Reply]

Cosmic Connie Reply:
December 28th, 2011 at 9:18 am
Yes, I fear that True-dough in particular *is* white-bread boring, in that his name became synonymous with scamming years ago. His schemes have been endlessly “exposed,” discussed, and parodied many times by various mainstream media outlets as well as countless bloggers. Some media outlets routinely add the descriptor “convicted felon” to their references to him. By now, I seriously doubt that anyone who writes or broadcasts stuff about KT deludes her/himself that s/he is reporting anything new (and I include myself in this bunch). We’re just dutifully reporting information that we can write in our sleep.
Salty is more cutting-edge than that. Now, if were discovered that True-dough was siphoning money from his legal defense fund to help scalawags such as James Arthur Ray, that would be another story. But so far it seems that the only contributions KT has made to Death Ray’s cause is to mouth off in his defense on the KT radio show.
As for that icky video with Sandy and Brendon… ditto on the beer-fingering. That’s pretty disgusting.
  +4
[Reply]

Bonnie Reply:
December 28th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
@Cosmic Connie,
I think he’s practicing for when he lands in jail. ;)
  +3
[Reply]

Lanna Reply:
December 28th, 2011 at 3:07 pm
@Cosmic Connie,
Please don’t let up on True-dough, Connie. Whilst I was searching my neighborhood library for books on chi and Ayurveda, I noticed they have a copy of his 2004 book “Natural Cures ‘They’ Don’t Want You to Know About.” As long as his crap is out there, you have to fight the good fight.
  +3
[Reply]

Jack Reply:
December 28th, 2011 at 3:22 pm
@Cosmic Connie, It’s a neat trick then for you to make him non-boring for us.
Also, can you tell us about anything about the new Kevin-clone infomercial guy they show us on TV now?
  +3
[Reply]

Cosmic Connie Reply:
December 28th, 2011 at 4:50 pm
@ Lanna: Thanks for the encouragement, and yes, KT’s books are everywhere.
@Jack, Since I am easily amused, I sometimes wonder if I’m the only person who finds KT even remotely interesting. I’m not sure which KT clone you’re talking about, but I do know that his infomercials are popping up on the Spanish channels (dubbed, I’m sure). He’s really riled up about all the “Mexicans” in the US, but doesn’t mind scamming them in their own language.
  +5
[Reply]

Silver Agave Reply:
December 28th, 2011 at 6:06 pm
@Cosmic Connie,
You do a great job with your KT stuff, as you do with all your writing. Like Lanna says, as long as his stuff is still considered relevant, it’s nice to see some sharp, articulated writing on why he’s such a scam artist.
  +1
# 26 December 2011 at 2:17 pm

LisaSimpson said:
Yep – the situation is so desperate it’s back to usual on her FB page and Twitter account – I wouldn’t be near a computer if this was the case with my kid. I’d be kicking and screaming at my ex’s front door. SCAM.
WINNER!! ::   +8
[Reply]

it could happen to anyone Reply:
December 27th, 2011 at 7:35 pm
@LisaSimpson,
A great point. Even the argument “I still need to eat” doesn’t wash – this is her child we’re speaking about. This whole thing stinks higher than than 3-week old kippers left out in 30 degree heat.
  +4
[Reply]
# 27 December 2011 at 1:06 pm

what?? said:
Her twitter accounts are gone.
  0
[Reply]

what?? Reply:
January 3rd, 2012 at 6:21 pm
@what??,
Oops…just one of them is gone. Sorry.
  0
[Reply]
# 3 January 2012 at 6:11 pm
» Ed Dale’s Frank Kern CoxPorn Challenge said:
[...] Oh for fuck sake … SERENITY NOW! [...]
  0
# 6 January 2012 at 3:27 pm

pigs trotters said:
@,
Is he any good at casting vanishing spells on scammers? If he can make that one work–and prove it– he might get some business here.
Otherwise, you are promoting the wrong unicorn here.
  +1
[Reply]
# 12 November 2012 at 9:26 am

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