A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
You know how wonderful it is when you start a book, and immediately you are hooked? This is not that kind of book. This is a book you start reading and you think “Why am I reading this? I don’t like ANY of the characters!”
And yet, somehow, I kept reading. And slowly, slowly, the hook was set, I could not stop reading.
Actually, I read the book several months ago, and I am still thinking about it. That’s a good book. 🙂
We meet one of the main characters as he stands waiting for a train to arrive, carrying his bride-to-be. As we stand waiting with the man, we discover that he is not very likable. We also learn that winters in his part of the country are long and hard, and very strange things happen to people cooped up together during these long, hard winters. It is a very bleak beginnning.
Then we are riding in the train with a woman who is answering an ad placed by the first man who was advertising for a wife. We get a few clues that she is misrepresenting herself, but . . . isn’t a little misrepresentation part of the mating process? Do we really show all our less attractive features to the person to whom we want to be married? And does she know what she is getting in for with this rather cold and distant man?
Do you really want to read this book?
It gets better. So much better. People are complicated, and they lead complicated lives. Sometimes evil leads only downward, and to more evil, and from time to time, there is a gleam of hope and the slim promise of redemption. It gives a clear slice of time from the early 1900’s, and a much earlier time in America. For anyone with the illusions that life in that turn-of-the-century America was a better, simpler, more moral time, this book is a reality check.
Nothing in the beginning of this book is quite what it seems, and yet every word is finely crafted to give a clue as to where the book is going. Will you be able to figure it out before you get there?
(I did not.)
There are so many good books out there. This one is slow to start, but builds steadily to an unforgettable ending. It is worth a read.
“I Need an Experienced Person Like You. . .”
Ah yes, have I mentioned to you all my experience building hotels? LLLLOOOLLLL!
Dear Friend,
I am Emmanuel Ajegba Esq the attorney to Chief James O. Ibori (former Governor of the Richest Oil Producing State in Nigerian for 8years, i am looking for your cooperation in building a Tourist Hotel or Real Estate in your country with my client funds that is deposited abroad in a Trust Account because i cannot be in charge of the funds myself as the attorney in charge, i have the power as the attorney in charge to make a new heir to the funds with the consent of my client (Chief James O. Ibori).
I am sorry if this is not in line with your profession. My client Chief James O. Ibori was arrested by the Interpol in Dubai for Money Laundering recently.
Please click for your perusal.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8680569.stm
I need an experienced person like you to assist me to set up, develop the project and assume responsibility of ownership as chairman but will be bringing in profit/distribute profit monthly or annually.
I shall give you more information as regards this transaction as soon as i hear from you.
Regards,
Emmanuel Ajegba Esq
My Lucky Day
Renekol Wilford
December 2, 2010 at 11:56am
Subject: GOOD DAY
Am Renekol Wilford full Deaf Christian Man from
facebook office, Am one of the Face bookagent,
Am here to inform you a very good new’s that we
have for you concerning your information on our
website, We want to inform you that your screen
name was lucky to be among one of the lucky
winner’s that the Face book anniversary the New
Month Sept 2010, And am so much happy to inform
you that we will be giving you the sum of
$50,000.00 USD for been one of our lucky
winner’s , We really appreciate you for joining
our website and for been one of our anniversary
lucky winner’s, So we want you to reply us back
right away as soon as you receive this message
to proof that your Name and address are correct
and to claim your $50,000.00 USD by replying
right away as soon as you receive this message.
Hope to hearing back from you.
Best Regards,
Renekol Wilford
Face Book Officer
Burkino Faso to Send Me Money! Wooo HOOO!
In today’s e-mail:
Attention the email id owner.
I am Mr. Abama Robert George from Ministry Of Finance Burkina Faso (Head office). This is to bring your notice that after the conference meeting we had, The Government of this country realized that you are among those that involved in scam victim we have in our list to Compensate by the government of this country as instructions from United Nation(UN).
The Governor of this state, Ouagadougou the capital city of Burkina Faso has instructed this office to forward your file to WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER DEPARTMENT to pay you the sum of US$500,000.00 through WESTERNUNION .His Excellence the GOVERNOR this province has instructed the WESTERN UNION payment department Mr. Dicko James to send the sum of $500,000.00 through his custody for easy receiver of your funds. You are to contact them now to ensure that your fund will be transferring to you once you send them the needed information to avoid wrong transaction.
According to the demands of WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER you are to receive
your fund at the instalment rate of $10,000.00 daily until the $500,000.00 is completely transferred to you accordingly. You are to contact them now with the bellow information to avoid wrong transaction.
Your first & second Name===========================
Telephone No.======================================
Your Country=======================================
Your city.=========================================
Listen very carefully, tell Mr.Dicko James that you advise to contact him by Mr. Abama Robert George from , Ministry Of Finance here in Ouagadougou Burkina Faso;Bellow is their Contact Information.
Name Mr.Dicko James
Email (wunionagent.officebf@gmail.com)
Telephone +226 78 71 49 18
Please, do not forget to update me as soon as you receive your first payment.
Best regards.
Mr. Abama R.George.
F.A in Ministry of Finance
Burkina Faso.
Yes! Yes! I will e-mail you as soon as I receive my first payment. Hold your breath!
Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation Winner!
In today’s mail:
Dear Winner
Congratulations The Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation has awarded you cash
Grant/Donation of £500,000.00.GBP send us your
Names…Country….Address….Tel….Age…Occupation.
To file for your claim, you are to contact:-
The Executive Secretary:
Mr Sam Peterson
Email: sampeterson1011@aim.com
LOL, they haven’t asked my banking information – yet!
Really Bad News for USA Olive Oil Lovers
Horrifying. I read the labels. I thought we could trust the labels. Thank God for independent testing. Bring on the Palestinian Olive oil!
Most ‘extra virgin’ olive oil bottles are actually cheaper mix
(See full article from WalletPop
More than two of every three bottles labeled imported extra virgin olive oil are either a cheaper grade of olive oil or adulterated with another type of oil, a University of California at Davis study found.
Top-selling brands including Bertolli, Filippo Berio, Carapelli, Pompeiian, Colavita, Mazola and Carapelli all had bottles that flunked the test — containing instead a cheaper virgin olive oil, the study by the university’s Olive Center found. Even a brand carrying the name of TV host Rachael Ray — who frequently touts her supposedly extra virgin olive oil — flunked the testing on two of three samples.
The chemical analysis did find that 90% of the California-packaged olive oils were indeed what they claimed to be. Two that were exactly what they claimed to be were Walmart’s Great Value brand and Costco’s Kirkland Organic.
“The intent of the study was to provide consumers and retailers with an accurate picture of the quality of olive oils now being marketed through grocery stores and other retail outlets in California,” Dan Flynn, executive director of the Olive Center, said in statement sent to Consumer Ally. “Our hope is that these findings will lead to improved methods for evaluating extra virgin olive oil, and increased consumer confidence that ‘extra virgin’ on the label means extra virgin in the bottle.”
Flynn said the United States is the world’s third-largest consumer of olive oil.
Consumer Ally contacted several of the largest manufacturers cited in the study, but only one immediately responded to the request to comment on the study. A Colavita official wanted to read the study before discussing.
A history of duping consumers believing they’re buying the rich-flavored and often pricey extra virgin olive oil led the federal government to enact more stringent olive oil standards, scheduled to take effect in October. In 2008, Connecticut became the first state to regulate olive oil after finding that some being sold included nut oils or soy oils, which could cause dangerous allergic reactions.
“Before this study, we had anecdotal reports of poor quality olive oil being sold as extra virgin,” Flynn said. “Now there is empirical proof.”
Some of the tests analyzed for problems that would affect flavor — the very essence of extra virgin olive oil. “Many of these oils just did not taste good,” Flynn said.
He cited the following reasons for the oil flunking the tests:
adulteration with cheaper refined olive oil
oxidation due to elevated temperature, light and or aging;
poor-quality oils made from damaged and overripe olives,
processing flaws or improper oil storage.
See full article from WalletPop: http://srph.it/9Svxpx
Bank of America Account
They just keep getting worse and worse. This one has atrocious grammar and punctuation, and keeps changing font size!
Me and Homeland Security
Honestly, I don’t mind getting these; some of them just crack me up:
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Washington, DC 20528
US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Attn: Beneficiary,
This is to Officially inform you that it has come to our notice and we have thoroughly completed an Investigated with the help of our Intelligence Monitoring Network System that you are having an illegal transaction with Impostors claiming to be Prof. Charles C. Soludo former Governor Central Bank Of Nigeria, Mr. Patrick Aziza, Mr. Frank Nweke, none officials of Oceanic Bank, none officials of Zenith Bank and some impostors claiming to be the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents. During our Investigation, it came to our notice that the reason why you have not received your payment is because you have not fulfilled your Financial Obligation given to you in respect of your Contract/Inheritance Payment.
So therefore, we have contacted the Federal Ministry Of Finance on your behalf and they have brought a solution to your problem by coordinating your payment in the total amount of US$800,000.00 which will be deposited into an ATM CARD which you will use to withdraw funds anywhere of the world. You now have the lawful right to claim your funds which have been deposited into the ATM CARD.
Since the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been involved in this transaction, you are now to be rest assured that this transaction is legitimate and completely risk-free as it is our duty to Protect and Serve citizens of the United States Of America. All you have to do is immediately contact the ATM CARD CENTER via E-mail for instructions on how to procure your Approval Slip which contains details on how to receive and activate your ATM CARD for immediate use to withdraw funds being paid to you.
The total amount for everything is US$300.00 (Three Hundred US Dollars). We have tried our possible best to indicate that this US$300.00 should be deducted from your funds, but we found out that the funds have already been deposited in an ATM CARD and cannot be accessed by anyone apart from you the beneficiary which the PIN would be released to. Therefore you will be required to pay the required fee to the Agent in-charge of this transaction via Western Union Money Transfer or Money Gram International Transfer.
In order to proceed with this transaction, you will be required to contact the agent in-charge ( Mr. David Wills ) via e-mail. Kindly look below to find appropriate contact information:
CONTACT INFORMATION
NAME: Mr. David Wills
EMAIL: davidwills101@yahoo.cn
Immediately contact Mr. David Wills of the ATM Card Center with the following information:
Full Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Direct Telephone Number:
Current Occupation:
Once you have sent the required information to Mr. David Wills he will contact you with instructions on how to make the payment of US$300.00 for the Approval Slip after which he will proceed towards delivery of the ATM CARD without any further delay. You have hereby been authorized/guaranteed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to commence towards completing this transaction, as there shall be NO delay once payment for the Approval Slip has been made to the authorized agent.
This letter will serve as proof that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is authorizing you to pay the required US$300.00 ONLY to Mr. David Wills via information in which he shall send to you, if you do not receive your ATM CARD containing your funds in amount of US$800,000.00 we shall be held responsible for the loss and this shall invite a penalty of $3,000.00USD which will be made PAYABLE ONLY to you (The Beneficiary).
Once you have completed payment of US$300.00 to the agent in charge of this transaction, immediately contact me back so as to ensure your ATM CARD gets to you rapidly.
Mr. David Wills
Special Agent DHS.
Note: Do disregard any email you get from any impostor or office claiming to be in possession of your ATM CARD, you are advised only to be in contact with Mr. David Wills of the ATM CARD CENTER who is the rightful person you are suppose to deal with in regards your ATM CARD PAYMENT and forward any email you get from any impostors to this office so we could act upon and commence investigation.
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