I suppose this was spam, but I fell for it, so this is the best post you're going to get in this time slot

Okay, you're smarter than I am. I bought it.

by Ken

I don't usually fall for spam scams, which I guess this was. I sat down at the computer with something like 50-55 minutes left to bang out a post, probably from two subjects I had vaguely mapped out. I did a little further tinkering with one of them, but decided to check my e-mail to see whether maybe God had e-mailed me something that with just a little dusting and polishing could be turned into a post. I didn't see that, but I did see what looked like an Amazon offer of a 90% discount offer, if you just clicked through and did something or other in order to get your download code.

What can I say? You think I'm not interested in a 90-percent discount on something I would be using anyway?

It's crazy, but the time pressure -- I really had to get back to my blogpost -- made me more susceptible, and one of the thigns I clicked on said that it (whatever it was) was only valid for 30 minutes, so I figured, okay, I'll click a few clicks, get my download code, and then get back to my post.

Don't you dare try to use my Coupon ID!

Only the first two of these weird "survey" choices involved really bizarre stuff. One of them had me signing up for some kind of supposedly free service (in order to complete a survey?), and another (or maybe the same one) had me giving a credit card (even though it was free), and with the clock ticking I finally clicked through to the free-lunch offer, which merely (ha, merely!) asked about my household's shopping habits. Except it kept going on and on.

And on. And it was pretty invasive. And, in case I didn't mention it, it kept going on and on

And even when it announced "one final question," there was another question, and then a list of surveys to choose from. And none of this seemed in any way related to my supposed download code.

And then I really didn't have time -- not even time to pursue one of my originally designated post ideas.

It looked like an actual Amazon e-mail, of which I get, goodness knows, about a jillion a day. I suppose it probably wasn't, so I can't blame Amazon for wasting my time. Apparently I'm not going to get my 90-percent discount coupon or whatever the hell it was supposed to be.

Well, the joke's on you. All you're getting is this crappy post. There's a lesson to be learned here, I'm sure, but I don't have time to learn it. I have a post to get up.

NOW ALL I HAVE TO DO --

is get a post done for 9pm PT. I still have two live ideas, but they both still need work, and for Pete's sake, it's Friday night.

Wait, I think I'll check my e-mail and see if maybe something has turned up there that could be turned into a post with maybe just some light dusting and polishing. Wish me luck! (See you at 9pm PT/12am ET.)

#