{"id":100,"date":"2006-07-23T23:19:31","date_gmt":"2006-07-24T04:19:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rreynoso.com\/blog\/archives\/100"},"modified":"2006-07-23T23:33:46","modified_gmt":"2006-07-24T04:33:46","slug":"match-point","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rreynoso.com\/reysapoint\/sweet-nothings\/match-point\/","title":{"rendered":"Match Point"},"content":{"rendered":"<style type=\"text\/css\"> <!-- .style1 {color: #990000} .style2 {color: #0000CC} --> <\/style>\n<p>Any reader of <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/mysteriouscloakedfigure.blogspot.com\/\">MCF\u2019s site<\/a> will immediately become aware of a passive paranoia and an actively nourished neuroticism. It makes his nick of the world wide web all the more entertaining and thus has us seeking for more. He\u2019s great, he\u2019s incredibly funny and always engaging\u2014and it\u2019s always great to see him turn red under the collar. I see the side he doesn\u2019t post and am constantly drawn to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rreynoso.com\/reysapoint\/archives\/79\">scare<\/a> him\u2026<\/p>\n<p><!--more-->Some years ago I signed him up for some personals site\u2014I can\u2019t remember which. His reaction was fast, furious and fully expected. What I gathered from the experience was that there was a line and once that line was crossed he would nudge it back. I knew a boundary but just kept poking at it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Goal: <\/strong>Get MCF to flip out.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Germination:<\/strong> I struck a conversation about how he needed the SciFi channel and proceeded to convince him that he needs cable tv. Now, I know he\u2019s not going to get it\u2014heck, if I lived in that part of New York I might not get it either! Doesn\u2019t matter, it was all part of a ploy to have him say his zip code: which I could easily get online. But by asking him that I knew his paranoia would kick in.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: Don\u2019t sign me up for cable!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Which is the funniest thing I just about ever heard since it would mean that I\u2019m the one paying for it. That aside, I made sure to write:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: I\u2019m <strong>not<\/strong> going to sign you up for anything.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The next day we had the following conversation:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: tell me if Elya ever calls you up<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: i have no idea who that is<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: you shouldn&#8217;t have any idea; she&#8217;s a chick on some personals site<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: from [your neck of the woods]<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: &#8230;.<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: why<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: would some chick on some personals site<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: from [my neck of the woods]<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: be calling me up?<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: because I was chatting with her on the personals site.<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: and she wants to meet \u201cme\u201d.<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: she even sent me a picture.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The trick here is to make it all convincing. Just say it matter of fact without waving any flags.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: and who were \u201cyou\u201d? Meaning who did she think she was chatting with on this personals site?<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: i went by your real name.<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: i thought using a pseudonym would be deceptive.<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: i hope you&#8217;re joking<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>At this point he really did think I was joking especially with that ironic last bit of using a pseudonym and not wanting to be deceptive while impersonating someone else\u2014but I know how his paranoia works. While he\u2019s making some design mistake, something starts to nag his brain saying \u201cdid he really sign me up on some personals site? Nah, he wouldn\u2019t do that again\u2026I hope\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I had to bring in some reinforcements. When you\u2019re three hundred miles away from someone you can\u2019t just pull a prank and hope it works\u2014you have to be intricate with the details. You need accomplices who can do some on-the-ground-recon and others who are willing to get their hands dirty.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Accomplice 1: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/cdp\/member-reviews\/A3VBVES8IYR5ZJ\/ref=cm_tr_trl_mr_4\/103-2767110-7980668?ie=UTF8\">Mr.Pac Dan<\/a>. <\/strong>Famous for his awesome Amazon reviews and having a name in the publishing industry, this is the man to go to if you need some good writing. Not only that; he has hundreds of girl friends who could be a convincing Elya (remember, that\u2019s the name of the girl I supposedly chatted with). He wrote a script with enough specific details to be convincing like referencing the time he got back from lunch, saying his real name, but not enough details to make MCF able to follow up\u2014ie: no call back number.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Accomplice 2: The Greek.<\/strong> This is probably MCF\u2019s biggest fan and arch-nemesis. You could say he\u2019s MCF\u2019s Luthor. He has this weird habit of strolling into MCF\u2019s cubicle, sitting directly next to him and snapping a picture with his camera phone before walking off without saying a word. He leaves MCF puzzled and nervous. The Greek is a master at pranks but he\u2019s still learning the mind of MCF. I had to access him for tech info: how does a person access the outside line of the company from inside; can he ensure that the Vic (MCF) is away from his desk\u2014and so on.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Accomplice 3: The Dame.<\/strong> PacDan acquired the aid of a person who had previously done some freelance for MCF. She has a sweet, honest voice and was completely up for the gag. She had to make the Call at a specific time; early enough for MCF not to be back at his desk and late enough to make him just miss the call.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The Execution: <\/strong>Mr PacDan is both a convincing writer and an extraordinary liar. With that combination he was able to get MCF and crew to hang back just a few minutes so that the Call could be completed.<\/p>\n<p>This is what I see happened.<\/p>\n<p>MCF got back to his desk with work-thoughts weighing heavily on his mind and his conscience likely nagging him. He likely mumbled \u201cOf course\u201d when he saw the little red light on his voicemail fully expecting that the project he\u2019s been waiting all day for had come back while he was at lunch. He probably deeply regretted any time just minutes ago he was enjoying. Thankfully, he knew he could finally design {X} project and be done with it!<\/p>\n<p>Quickly dialing his access code he stood and listened to a strange female voice who he thought was someone from a services department. He didn\u2019t hear the message at first trying to place the name. Confused he replayed it and this time really listened hearing things like his real name, the time he gets back from lunch and her name: Elya.<\/p>\n<p>He felt naked. He knew that he was no longer mysteriously cloaked and that someone out in the world wide web had access to his name and his work number! He made some effort at calming down, to keep still, but his fingers ignored him as they signed on to AIM.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: dude what the heck, I thought you were kidding!<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: WHY is there a voicemail from someone called Elya?<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: She asked for \u201cmy\u201d number when I chatted with her and I wasn\u2019t sure about giving your house number.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Pause. Everything I\u2019m saying is a lie but it\u2019s all paced out so that it nudges his paranoia. I can\u2019t just go out and spill the beans. I have to reveal one thing at a time like I gave her the number, but not his home number\u2026<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: that\u2019s REALLY MESSED up<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: you&#8217;re going to have to explain this. Can you please the next time you&#8217;re impersonating me clear this up?<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: I don&#8217;t know why you&#8217;re angry; she was pretty nice on email and on i-m<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>\u2026and like me chatting with her on email and I-m pretending that I\u2019m him\u2026<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: that&#8217;s not the point, you shouldn\u2019t be posing as me to anybody<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: i just gave info you would&#8217;ve<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: that i went to an all boys junior high school, that i went to a co-ed public school high school, etc. She seemed really nice<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>\u2026or mistaking his true past while representing him obviously creating a horribly embarrassing situation if he ever talks to this fictitious girl and has to explain \u201chis\u201d mistakes\u2026<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: my high school was all boys<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: i went to public school up to 8th grade<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: well, it doesn&#8217;t matter. You can clear it up with her<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>\u2026and my blatant disregard of the facts. Do you see why I love Monk?<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: i would call her back if i were you.<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: she didn\u2019t leave her phone number!<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: And, I shouldnt have to apologize and clean this up! My name shouldn\u2019t even be on a personals site unless I personally put it there! What the hell!<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: if you weren\u2019t my friend it would be identity theft<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: technically it is<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I love that part. Just for your personal information: Identity Theft occurs when somebody deliberately steals your name and other personal information (such as birth date, Social Security number, address, name, and bank account) for fraudulent purposes; often to make purchase or commit a financial crime. Identity theft is a form of identity crime (where somebody uses a false identity to commit a crime). Less commonly, it is to enable illegal immigration, terrorism, espionage, or changing identity permanently.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: you gave my work number<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: i didn&#8217;t give your home number!<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: with my voice mail<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: which has my real name in the recording<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: so some strange chick who liked the guy she chatted with now has this information<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: well, i had to give the real name<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: and a picture<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: thank God my parents are unlisted<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: no one would respond without those things<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: a PICTURE too?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It\u2019s all in the pacing. That kind of revelation is crushing to someone who wishes to remain cloaked. Imagine his horror when Darrel or Rhodester (?!?) wrote a post about uncloaking him. He thought that somehow the genius man had pieced him together then laughed in relief (and honest-to-goodness enjoyment) at the pic.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: i&#8217;m not seeing the big deal here<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: false pretense<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: identity theft!<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: plus i&#8217;m very private!<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: you impersonated me without my consent!<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: are you trying to get into my MCFAT?<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: what?<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: because this is becoming a better story for the first question than the one i had planned<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: i&#8217;m talking about real life and you&#8217;re talking about a blog?!?!?<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: this is like the 3rd or 4th time; how do you keep thinking this is ok?<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: that last time was just weak\u2026<br \/>\n<span class=\"style1\">MCF<\/span>: you went FAR further than the stuff that got me mad last time<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: hello?<br \/>\n<span class=\"style2\">Rey<\/span>: hello?<br \/>\nAIM IM with MCF&#8211;Session Ended .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>In other news, I did make it into his <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/mysteriouscloakedfigure.blogspot.com\/2006\/07\/mcfat-xiv-answers.html\">MCFAT<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Any reader of MCF\u2019s site will immediately become aware of a passive paranoia and an actively nourished neuroticism. It makes his nick of the world wide web all the more entertaining and thus has us seeking for more. He\u2019s great, he\u2019s incredibly funny and always engaging\u2014and it\u2019s always great to see him turn red under [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sweet-nothings"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/rreynoso.com\/reysapoint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/rreynoso.com\/reysapoint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/rreynoso.com\/reysapoint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rreynoso.com\/reysapoint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rreynoso.com\/reysapoint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/rreynoso.com\/reysapoint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/rreynoso.com\/reysapoint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rreynoso.com\/reysapoint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rreynoso.com\/reysapoint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}