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How did they know?

July 19th, 2008 by Bill Corbett · 22 Comments

Received this in a mostly-defunct mailbox the other day:

    FROM: bellsouth.net

    SUBJECT: hi there pyrophosphate

Well, I’m just gobsmacked by this one. How did some spammers (apparently from the South, where I’ve never lived!) know the nickname I’ve cherished since third grade?

    Pyrophosphate

    Me.

A real stumper.

sincerely,

Bill “Pyrophosphate” Corbett

Other posts by Bill Corbett

Tags: RiffTrax

22 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Neb on Jul 19, 2008 at 8:23 am

    That’s darn cute! So, which of your annoying Uncles or Aunts, a chemist, naturally, gave you that charming moniker?

    Seriously, that’s the weirdest spam name I’ve ever heard.

    [Reply to this]

  • 2 Barry on Jul 19, 2008 at 8:35 am

    Amazing! I had no idea that you were released every time that a DNA or RNA nucleotide is polymerized.

    On a related note, I’d avoid water if I were you. Apparently, you’re unstable in an aqueous solution.

    [Reply to this]

  • 3 Onil on Jul 19, 2008 at 8:40 am

    Maybe the mysterious e-mailers are telling you it’s time to start handing out nicknames to the Rifftrax blog repliers again.

    [Reply to this]

  • 4 Casey on Jul 19, 2008 at 9:25 am

    ACK! similar things happen to me! They keep calling me a “very large member” but never tell me to what I have membership!

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    Reply from Neb on July 19, 2008:

    Let me know when you find out, because I think that I also belong to this super-secret organization. I guess it’s so secret that you don’t know when you’re “in” or that it even exists, and that’s pretty “super secret” for sure.

  • 5 Ninjew on Jul 19, 2008 at 10:14 am

    Judging from the picture, I’m surprised they didn’t call you “Everlasing Gobstopper” Corbett.

    [Reply to this]

  • 6 wakachiwaka on Jul 19, 2008 at 10:15 am

    They must have read the first line of comment #15 under the “My Life’s Goal” post.

    (My life’s goalpost? Hmmm…)

    [Reply to this]

    Reply from Bill Corbett on July 19, 2008:

    # 15 was based on this similar item, I think:

    http://twitter.com/BillCorbett/statuses/861374968

    Reply from justhesh on July 19, 2008:

    Wait a minute, now.

    Are you telling me that Mr. Bill Corbett has a Twitter page… with Go Bots in the background?

    Reply from SecretIdentityCrisis on July 19, 2008:

    Yes, I’ve been track… stalk… following Bill on Twitter since he posted about it.

    Those southerners and their biochemical nicknamery… in Texas I’m known as ‘The Big Oligonucleotide’

  • 7 chrismartindeed on Jul 19, 2008 at 11:52 am

    “A real stumper”?

    That’s my nickname from the 3rd grade!

    How did you know?

    How?

    [Reply to this]

  • 8 Adam on Jul 19, 2008 at 11:54 am

    I got a similar spam recently as well, only mine read “hi there compliment”.

    [Reply to this]

  • 9 Courtney on Jul 19, 2008 at 11:57 am

    You’re a soda pop who likes to start fires?

    Yeah, that about sums it up actally.

    [Reply to this]

  • 10 Brian O. on Jul 19, 2008 at 12:00 pm

    I always wanted to be called Thermite, but that was taken, so I go by Sulfur Dioxide instead.

    [Reply to this]

  • 11 Andrew "tyrosine" Hime on Jul 19, 2008 at 12:36 pm

    hi there pyrophosphate

    [Reply to this]

  • 12 Ben on Jul 19, 2008 at 1:48 pm

    Just so long as you sent them the funds to claim your Nigerian treasure from their expatriate prince.

    [Reply to this]

  • 13 Shawn on Jul 19, 2008 at 3:07 pm

    This is exactly the kind of thing that happens over at Spamusement, which everyone should not only be familiar with but love.

    [Reply to this]

  • 14 MikeP on Jul 19, 2008 at 6:55 pm

    I get much more run of the mill spam. Stuff like, “REDUCE YOUR DANGEROUSLY LARGE PENIS” and “NEED HELP REDUCING YOUR SUPER-HUMAN LIBIDO?” and “Michael J Fox found dead in apartment”.

    (That last one, believe it or not, is real spam for a casino)

    [Reply to this]

    Reply from Ninjew on July 20, 2008:

    That’s a special “code phrase” they use at Gamblers Anonymous.

    Granted, the post hypnotic suggestion that goes along with that phrase is a tad more violent than they originally figured.

  • 15 Scooter on Jul 20, 2008 at 8:28 am

    I got spam that was just talking about the sex toy from the Sex and the City movie.

    [Reply to this]

  • 16 Thom_Serveaux on Jul 21, 2008 at 9:12 am

    Could be worse, I’m now getting mail addressed to my usual online persona, ‘Thom Serveaux’. So far it’s all chamber of commerce and visitor center info packets and condo offers from South Carolina, New Jersey New Hampshire and my very own state of Pennsylvania. Now, If Capital One would just send me a pre-approved Gold/Platinum card, I’d be set…

    [Reply to this]

    Reply from Smuttynose on July 21, 2008:

    My mother was an assistant of sorts at the local church. One of her duties was to sort through the mail. As the church was the “United Church of Jesus Christ”, there were many letters that started “Dear Mr. Christ”.

    The best was what followed on the letter after that, be it reducing debt or hair replacement surgery or even worse (male enhancement for Jesus)!

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