Spam attack; comments moderated

May 14, 2014

My apologies.

Please, no spam.  No offense to Spam, I hope.

Please, no spam. No offense to Spam, I hope.

Today the site has been hit with major spam attacks from a couple of different directions.  WordPress’s wonderful Akismet software captures a lot of the stuff, but someone has figured a way around it (temporarily, I trust), and I’ve been swatting spam down for most of the day.

To keep the comments clean, I’ve put a control that disallows comments except from known and relatively trusted accounts. If you’re new here, be patient.  It may take two or three hours tonight before I can approve a first comment.

Please don’t let that stop you from commenting.  Legitimate comments should all appear, shortly.

Thanks for visiting.


Google Reader’s dead? You can still follow Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub

July 1, 2013

Ta-ta, Google Reader. There are other Translating Fish in the Sea.

Ta-ta, Google Reader. There are other Translating Fish in the Sea.

A lot of readers subscribed to Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub through Google Reader.  Alas for them, and for reading at this blog, Google Reader will close down on July 1, 2013.

Education automation guru Larry Ferlazzo points to a number of alternatives, almost all of which work here, too:

There are plenty of alternatives to Google Reader if you still want to subscribe using an RSS Reader (see The Best Alternatives To Google Reader Now That It’s Being Shut Down).

After trying out fifteen or twenty alternatives out there, including the new Digg Reader, I have yet to find a service that I think is a great replacement.

However, there’s no value in letting the “perfect be the enemy of the good.”

I’ve finally determined that Feedly is my primary alternative — with a caveat.

I really like Mr. Reader, which is only an iPad app. However, it “syncs” with Feedly. So I’ll be using Feedly on my desktop and on my iPhone, but Mr. Reader on my iPad.

I hope you’ll continue to follow, after the Google Reader shutdown.

On the right side of this blog you’ll find a button for RSS subscriptions, and to follow me on Twitter.  You can find me on Google Plus, but I generally don’t post everything there (I should consider it, I know).  You can subscribe to this blog on e-mail — again, with a button on the right side.

Are there other feeds, or other ways to follow that you think I should use?  Please let me know in comments.

More:


4 million

April 21, 2013

About noon today Central Time, Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub recorded its 4 millionth visit.

Thank you, Dear Reader.

Bring on the confetti and champagne.  Well, champagne, anyway.  Save the confetti money and send it instead to Nothing But Nets to fight malaria.

More notes on “4 million”:


Coming attractions: 4 million

April 19, 2013

4 million & counting cake, from (almost) Bald Trainer Blog

4 million & counting cake, from (almost) Bald Trainer Blog

At this total and at this rate, sometime next week Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub will pass the 4 million view mark.

If I had a nickel for every view . . .

Cover of Halcyon Classics' edition of The Four Million, by O. Henry, a Texas-related author

Cover of Halcyon Classics’ edition of The Four Million, by O. Henry, a Texas-related author; have you read it?

Better, if I had a dollar . . . I’d keep it up.

Thank you, Dear Reader.  Please bring friends.

More:


Spam templates

April 19, 2013

Organized efforts to fight spam, by major computer security firms, by major internet players, have paid off in interesting ways.

I use WordPress‘s Akismet spam catching program, and it works very well.  Especially I enjoy the ability to see some of the spam in the holding tank where the program asks whether I really want to dump something.  In recent months the false positives have fallen through the floor.  The crude sex trade spam of two years ago — up to a thousand a day — are gone.  Hooray for the spam fighters.

Spam topics

Spam topics you don’t want to see on your blog. No offense to the real Spam, which is pretty good stuff if you’re in a hurry for breakfast.

Spammers have gotten a bit more sophisticated.  In attempts to get around Akismet and other spam-trapping and spam-killing programs, they’ve created programs that tailor comments to the blog in question, trying to trick the filters into thinking it’s a legitimate comment.  About one in a hundred of these comments get through.

What do they say?  “Great post.”  “Just what I was looking for.”  Sometimes a mention of a word, or the title of the post is inserted.  The idea is to get the comment posted on a blog, where a link from the name of the poster will take an unwary reader to someplace else, a pornography site, a site to sell shoes or handbags, or counterfeit shoes and handbags, or generic pharmaceuticals — or phony pharmaceuticals.  A thousand different products.  In an internet where some advertisers will pay a nickel a click, even an accidental click from an unwary blog browser can make money, if repeated a hundred thousand times.

Spammers work to tailor comments.

And then, someone fails to code the thing correctly — and instead of tailoring spam for a site, the robot commenters insert the whole damnable script.

Like this one I got today.  Wonder how they try to get around your  spam filters?  Here’s the script, a catalog of spam comments you’ll find on blogs all around the world, before the filters get to them:

{
{I have|I’ve} been {surfing|browsing} online more than {three|3|2|4} hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. {It’s|It is} pretty worth enough
for me. {In my opinion|Personally|In my view}, if all {webmasters|site owners|website owners|web owners} and bloggers made good content as you
did, the {internet|net|web} will be {much more|a lot more} useful than ever before.

Spam Bots

No, it doesn’t really work like this.

|
I {couldn’t|could not} {resist|refrain from} commenting. {Very well| Perfectly| Well| Exceptionally well} written!|
{I will| I’ll} {right away| immediately} {take hold of| grab| clutch| grasp| seize| snatch} your
{rss|rss feed} as I {can not|can’t} {in finding|find|to find} your {email|e-mail} subscription {link|hyperlink} or {newsletter|e-newsletter} service. Do {you have|you’ve} any?
{Please|Kindly} {allow|permit|let} me {realize|recognize|understand|recognise|know} {so that|in order that} I
{may just|may|could} subscribe. Thanks.|
{It is|It’s} {appropriate|perfect|the best} time to make some plans for the future and {it is|it’s} time to be happy.
{I have|I’ve} read this post and if I could I {want to|wish to|desire to} suggest you {few|some} interesting things or {advice|suggestions|tips}. {Perhaps|Maybe} you {could|can} write next articles referring to this article. I {want to|wish to|desire to} read {more|even more} things about it!|
{It is|It’s} {appropriate|perfect|the best} time to make {a few|some}
plans for {the future|the longer term|the long run} and {it is|it’s} time to be happy. {I have|I’ve}
{read|learn} this {post|submit|publish|put up} and if I {may just|may|could} I
{want to|wish to|desire to} {suggest|recommend|counsel} you {few|some} {interesting|fascinating|attention-grabbing} {things|issues} or {advice|suggestions|tips}.
{Perhaps|Maybe} you {could|can} write {next|subsequent} articles {relating to|referring to|regarding} this article.
I {want to|wish to|desire to} {read|learn} {more|even more} {things|issues} {approximately|about} it!
|
{I have|I’ve} been {surfing|browsing} {online|on-line} {more than|greater than} {three|3} hours {these days|nowadays|today|lately|as of late}, {yet|but} I {never|by no means} {found|discovered} any {interesting|fascinating|attention-grabbing} article like yours. {It’s|It is}
{lovely|pretty|beautiful} {worth|value|price} {enough|sufficient} for me.
{In my opinion|Personally|In my view}, if all {webmasters|site owners|website owners|web
owners} and bloggers made {just right|good|excellent} {content|content material} as {you did|you probably did},
the {internet|net|web} {will be|shall be|might be|will probably
be|can be|will likely be} {much more|a lot more} {useful|helpful} than
ever before.|
Ahaa, its {nice|pleasant|good|fastidious} {discussion|conversation|dialogue} {regarding|concerning|about|on
the topic of} this {article|post|piece of writing|paragraph}
{here|at this place} at this {blog|weblog|webpage|website|web site},
I have read all that, so {now|at this time} me also commenting {here|at this place}.
|
I am sure this {article|post|piece of writing|paragraph} has touched all the internet {users|people|viewers|visitors}, its really really {nice|pleasant|good|fastidious} {article|post|piece of writing|paragraph} on
building up new {blog|weblog|webpage|website|web site}.
|
Wow, this {article|post|piece of writing|paragraph} is {nice|pleasant|good|fastidious}, my
{sister|younger sister} is analyzing {such|these|these kinds of} things, {so|thus|therefore} I am going to {tell|inform|let know|convey} her.
|
{Saved as a favorite|bookmarked!!}, {I really like|I
like|I love} {your blog|your site|your web site|your
website}!|
Way cool! Some {very|extremely} valid points!
I appreciate you {writing this|penning this} {article|post|write-up}
{and the|and also the|plus the} rest of the {site is|website is} {also very|extremely|very|also really|really} good.
|
Hi, {I do believe|I do think} {this is an excellent|this is a great}
{blog|website|web site|site}. I stumbledupon it ;) {I will|I
am going to|I’m going to|I may} {come back|return|revisit} {once again|yet again} {since I|since i have} {bookmarked|book marked|book-marked|saved as a favorite} it. Money and freedom {is the best|is the greatest} way to change, may you be rich and continue to {help|guide} {other people|others}.|
Woah! I’m really {loving|enjoying|digging} the template/theme of this
{site|website|blog}. It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s {very hard|very difficult|challenging|tough|difficult|hard} to get that “perfect balance” between {superb usability|user friendliness|usability} and {visual appearance|visual appeal|appearance}.
I must say {that you’ve|you have|you’ve} done a {awesome|amazing|very good|superb|fantastic|excellent|great} job with this.

{In addition|Additionally|Also}, the blog loads {very|extremely|super} {fast|quick} for me on {Safari|Internet explorer|Chrome|Opera|Firefox}.
{Superb|Exceptional|Outstanding|Excellent} Blog!
|
These are {really|actually|in fact|truly|genuinely} {great|enormous|impressive|wonderful|fantastic} ideas in {regarding|concerning|about|on the
topic of} blogging. You have touched some {nice|pleasant|good|fastidious} {points|factors|things} here.
Any way keep up wrinting.|
{I love|I really like|I enjoy|I like|Everyone loves} what you guys
{are|are usually|tend to be} up too. {This sort of|This type of|Such|This kind of}
clever work and {exposure|coverage|reporting}! Keep up the {superb|terrific|very good|great|good|awesome|fantastic|excellent|amazing|wonderful} works guys I’ve {incorporated||added|included} you guys to {|my|our||my personal|my own} blogroll.|
{Howdy|Hi there|Hey there|Hi|Hello|Hey}! Someone in my {Myspace|Facebook} group shared this {site|website} with us so I came to {give it a look|look it over|take a look|check it out}. I’m definitely {enjoying|loving} the information.
I’m {book-marking|bookmarking} and will be tweeting this to my followers! {Terrific|Wonderful|Great|Fantastic|Outstanding|Exceptional|Superb|Excellent} blog and {wonderful|terrific|brilliant|amazing|great|excellent|fantastic|outstanding|superb} {style and design|design and style|design}.|
{I love|I really like|I enjoy|I like|Everyone loves} what you guys {are|are usually|tend to be} up too. {This sort of|This type of|Such|This kind of} clever work and {exposure|coverage|reporting}! Keep up the {superb|terrific|very good|great|good|awesome|fantastic|excellent|amazing|wonderful} works guys I’ve {incorporated|added|included} you guys to {|my|our|my
personal|my own} blogroll.|
{Howdy|Hi there|Hey there|Hi|Hello|Hey} would you mind {stating|sharing} which blog platform you’re {working with|using}? I’m {looking|planning|going} to start
my own blog {in the near future|soon} but I’m having a {tough|difficult|hard} time {making a decision|selecting|choosing|deciding} between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your {design and style|design|layout} seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something {completely unique|unique}.
P.S {My apologies|Apologies|Sorry} for {getting|being} off-topic but
I had to ask!|
{Howdy|Hi there|Hi|Hey there|Hello|Hey} would you mind
letting me know which {webhost|hosting company|web host} you’re {utilizing|working with|using}? I’ve loaded your blog in 3 {completely different|different} {internet browsers|web browsers|browsers} and I must say this blog loads a lot {quicker|faster} then most.

Can you {suggest|recommend} a good {internet hosting|web hosting|hosting} provider at a {honest|reasonable|fair} price?
{Thanks a lot|Kudos|Cheers|Thank you|Many thanks|Thanks}, I appreciate it!
|
{I love|I really like|I like|Everyone loves} it {when people|when individuals|when folks|whenever people}
{come together|get together} and share {opinions|thoughts|views|ideas}.
Great {blog|website|site}, {keep it up|continue
the good work|stick with it}!|
Thank you for the {auspicious|good} writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it.
Look advanced to {far|more} added agreeable from you!

{By the way|However}, how {can|could} we communicate?
|
{Howdy|Hi there|Hey there|Hello|Hey} just wanted to give you a quick heads up.
The {text|words} in your {content|post|article} seem to be running off the screen in {Ie|Internet explorer|Chrome|Firefox|Safari|Opera}.
I’m not sure if this is a {format|formatting} issue or something to do with {web browser|internet browser|browser} compatibility but I {thought|figured} I’d post to let you know.
The {style and design|design and style|layout|design} look great though!
Hope you get the {problem|issue} {solved|resolved|fixed} soon.

{Kudos|Cheers|Many thanks|Thanks}|
This is a topic {that is|that’s|which is} {close to|near to} my heart… {Cheers|Many thanks|Best wishes|Take care|Thank you}! {Where|Exactly where} are your contact details though?|
It’s very {easy|simple|trouble-free|straightforward|effortless}
to find out any {topic|matter} on {net|web} as compared to {books|textbooks}, as I
found this {article|post|piece of writing|paragraph} at this {website|web site|site|web page}.

|
Does your {site|website|blog} have a contact page?
I’m having {a tough time|problems|trouble} locating it but, I’d like to {send|shoot} you an {e-mail|email}.

I’ve got some {creative ideas|recommendations|suggestions|ideas} for your blog you might be interested in hearing. Either way, great {site|website|blog} and I look forward to seeing it {develop|improve|expand|grow} over time.|
{Hola|Hey there|Hi|Hello|Greetings}! I’ve been {following|reading} your {site|web
site|website|weblog|blog} for {a long time|a while|some time} now and
finally got the {bravery|courage} to go ahead and give you a shout out
from {New Caney|Kingwood|Huffman|Porter|Houston|Dallas|Austin|Lubbock|Humble|Atascocita} {Tx|Texas}!

Just wanted to {tell you|mention|say} keep up the {fantastic|excellent|great|good} {job|work}!

|
Greetings from {Idaho|Carolina|Ohio|Colorado|Florida|Los
angeles|California}! I’m {bored to tears|bored to death|bored} at work so I decided to {check out|browse} your {site|website|blog} on my iphone during lunch break. I {enjoy|really like|love} the {knowledge|info|information} you {present|provide} here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home.
I’m {shocked|amazed|surprised} at how {quick|fast} your blog loaded on my {mobile|cell phone|phone} .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .
. {Anyhow|Anyways}, {awesome|amazing|very good|superb|good|wonderful|fantastic|excellent|great} {site|blog}!
|
Its {like you|such as you} {read|learn} my {mind|thoughts}!

You {seem|appear} {to understand|to know|to grasp} {so much|a lot} {approximately|about} this, {like you|such as you} wrote the {book|e-book|guide|ebook|e book}
in it or something. {I think|I feel|I believe} {that
you|that you simply|that you just} {could|can} do
with {some|a few} {%|p.c.|percent} to {force|pressure|drive|power} the message {house|home} {a bit|a little bit}, {however|but} {other than|instead of} that, {this is|that is} {great|wonderful|fantastic|magnificent|excellent} blog. {A great|An excellent|A fantastic} read. {I’ll|I will} {definitely|certainly} be back.|
I visited {multiple|many|several|various} {websites|sites|web sites|web pages|blogs} {but|except|however} the audio {quality|feature} for audio songs {current|present|existing} at this {website|web site|site|web page} is {really|actually|in fact|truly|genuinely} {marvelous|wonderful|excellent|fabulous|superb}.|
{Howdy|Hi there|Hi|Hello}, i read your blog {occasionally|from time to time} and i own a similar one and i was just {wondering|curious} if you get a lot of spam {comments|responses|feedback|remarks}? If so how do you {prevent|reduce|stop|protect against} it, any plugin or anything you can {advise|suggest|recommend}? I get so much lately it’s driving me {mad|insane|crazy} so any {assistance|help|support} is very much appreciated.|
Greetings! {Very helpful|Very useful} advice {within this|in this particular} {article|post}! {It is the|It’s the} little changes {that make|which will make|that produce|that will make} {the biggest|the largest|the greatest|the most important|the most significant} changes. {Thanks a lot|Thanks|Many thanks} for sharing!|
{I really|I truly|I seriously|I absolutely} love {your blog|your site|your website}.. {Very nice|Excellent|Pleasant|Great} colors & theme. Did you {create|develop|make|build} {this website|this site|this web site|this amazing site} yourself? Please reply back as I’m {looking to|trying to|planning to|wanting to|hoping to|attempting to} create {my own|my very own|my own personal} {blog|website|site} and {would like to|want to|would love to} {know|learn|find out} where you got this from or {what the|exactly what the|just what the} theme {is called|is named}. {Thanks|Many thanks|Thank you|Cheers|Appreciate it|Kudos}!|
{Hi there|Hello there|Howdy}! This {post|article|blog post} {couldn’t|could not} be written {any better|much better}! {Reading through|Looking at|Going through|Looking through} this {post|article} reminds me of my previous roommate! He {always|constantly|continually} kept {talking about|preaching about} this. {I will|I’ll|I am going to|I most certainly will} {forward|send} {this article|this information|this post} to him. {Pretty sure|Fairly certain} {he will|he’ll|he’s going to} {have a good|have a very good|have a great} read. {Thank you for|Thanks for|Many thanks for|I appreciate you for} sharing!|
{Wow|Whoa|Incredible|Amazing}! This blog looks {exactly|just} like my old one! It’s on a {completely|entirely|totally} different {topic|subject} but it has pretty much the same {layout|page layout} and design. {Excellent|Wonderful|Great|Outstanding|Superb} choice of colors!|
{There is|There’s} {definately|certainly} {a lot to|a great deal to} {know about|learn about|find out about} this {subject|topic|issue}. {I like|I love|I really like} {all the|all of the} points {you made|you’ve made|you have made}.|
{You made|You’ve made|You have made} some {decent|good|really good} points there. I {looked|checked} {on the internet|on the web|on the net} {for more info|for more information|to find out more|to learn more|for additional information} about the issue and found {most individuals|most people} will go along with your views on {this website|this site|this web site}.|
{Hi|Hello|Hi there|What’s up}, I {log on to|check|read} your {new stuff|blogs|blog} {regularly|like every week|daily|on a regular basis}. Your {story-telling|writing|humoristic} style is {awesome|witty}, keep {doing what you’re doing|up the good work|it up}!|
I {simply|just} {could not|couldn’t} {leave|depart|go away} your {site|web site|website} {prior to|before} suggesting that I {really|extremely|actually} {enjoyed|loved} {the standard|the usual} {information|info} {a person|an individual} {supply|provide} {for your|on your|in your|to your} {visitors|guests}? Is {going to|gonna} be {back|again} {frequently|regularly|incessantly|steadily|ceaselessly|often|continuously} {in order to|to} {check up on|check out|inspect|investigate cross-check} new posts|
{I wanted|I needed|I want to|I need to} to thank you for this {great|excellent|fantastic|wonderful|good|very good} read!! I {definitely|certainly|absolutely} {enjoyed|loved} every {little bit of|bit of} it. {I have|I’ve got|I have got} you {bookmarked|book marked|book-marked|saved as a favorite} {to check out|to look at} new {stuff you|things you} post…|
{Hi|Hello|Hi there|What’s up}, just wanted to {mention|say|tell you}, I {enjoyed|liked|loved} this {article|post|blog post}. It was {inspiring|funny|practical|helpful}. Keep on posting!|
I {{leave|drop|{write|create}} a {comment|leave a response}|drop a {comment|leave a response}|{comment|leave a response}} {each time|when|whenever} I {appreciate|like|especially enjoy} a {post|article} on a {site|{blog|website}|site|website} or {I have|if I have} something to {add|contribute|valuable to contribute} {to the discussion|to the conversation}. {It is|Usually it is|Usually it’s|It’s} {a result of|triggered by|caused by} the {passion|fire|sincerness} {communicated|displayed} in the {post|article} I {read|looked at|browsed}. And {on|after} this {post|article} Based on a true story – except, not Texas. Not a chainsaw. Not a massacre. | Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub. I {{was|was actually} moved|{was|was actually} excited} enough to {drop|{leave|drop|{write|create}}|post} a {thought|{comment|{comment|leave a response}a response}} {:-P|:)|;)|;-)|:-)} I {do have|actually do have} {{some|a few} questions|a couple of questions|2 questions} for you {if you {don’t|do not|usually do not|tend not to} mind|if it’s {allright|okay}}. {Is it|Could it be} {just|only|simply} me or {do|does it {seem|appear|give the impression|look|look as if|look like} like} {some|a few} of {the|these} {comments|responses|remarks} {look|appear|come across} {like they are|as if they are|like} {coming from|written by|left by} brain dead {people|visitors|folks|individuals}? :-P And, if you are {posting|writing} {on|at} {other|additional} {sites|social sites|online sites|online social sites|places}, {I’d|I would} like to {follow|keep up with} {you|{anything|everything} {new|fresh} you have to post}. {Could|Would} you {list|make a list} {all|every one|the complete urls} of {your|all your} {social|communal|community|public|shared} {pages|sites} like your {twitter feed, Facebook page or linkedin profile|linkedin profile, Facebook page or twitter feed|Facebook page, twitter feed, or linkedin profile}?|
{Hi there|Hello}, I enjoy reading {all of|through} your {article|post|article post}. I {like|wanted} to write a little comment to support you.|
I {always|constantly|every time} spent my half an hour to read this {blog|weblog|webpage|website|web site}’s {articles|posts|articles or reviews|content} {everyday|daily|every day|all the time} along with a {cup|mug} of coffee.|
I {always|for all time|all the time|constantly|every time} emailed this {blog|weblog|webpage|website|web site} post page to all my {friends|associates|contacts}, {because|since|as|for the reason that} if like to read it {then|after that|next|afterward} my {friends|links|contacts} will too.|
My {coder|programmer|developer} is trying to {persuade|convince} me to move to .net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the {expenses|costs}. But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using {Movable-type|WordPress} on {a number of|a variety of|numerous|several|various} websites for about a year and am {nervous|anxious|worried|concerned} about switching to another platform. I have heard {fantastic|very good|excellent|great|good} things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can {transfer|import} all my wordpress {content|posts} into it? {Any kind of|Any} help would be {really|greatly} appreciated!|
{Hello|Hi|Hello there|Hi there|Howdy|Good day}! I could have sworn I’ve {been to|visited} {this blog|this web site|this website|this site|your blog} before but after {browsing through|going through|looking at} {some of the|a few of the|many of the} {posts|articles} I realized it’s new to me. {Anyways|Anyhow|Nonetheless|Regardless}, I’m {definitely|certainly} {happy|pleased|delighted} {I found|I discovered|I came across|I stumbled upon} it and I’ll be {bookmarking|book-marking} it and checking back {frequently|regularly|often}!|
{Terrific|Great|Wonderful} {article|work}! {This is|That is} {the type of|the kind of} {information|info} {that are meant to|that are supposed to|that should} be shared {around the|across the} {web|internet|net}. {Disgrace|Shame} on {the {seek|search} engines|Google} for {now not|not|no longer} positioning this {post|submit|publish|put up} {upper|higher}! Come on over and {talk over with|discuss with|seek advice from|visit|consult with} my {site|web site|website} . {Thank you|Thanks} =)|
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{Hi|Hello|Hi there|Hello there|Howdy|Greetings}, {I think|I believe|I do believe|I do think|There’s no doubt that} {your site|your website|your web site|your blog} {might be|may be|could be|could possibly be} having {browser|internet browser|web browser} compatibility {issues|problems}. {When I|Whenever I} {look at your|take a look at your} {website|web site|site|blog} in Safari, it looks fine {but when|however when|however, if|however, when} opening in {Internet Explorer|IE|I.E.}, {it has|it’s got} some overlapping issues. {I just|I simply|I merely} wanted to {give you a|provide you with a} quick heads up! {Other than that|Apart from that|Besides that|Aside from that}, {fantastic|wonderful|great|excellent} {blog|website|site}!|
{A person|Someone|Somebody} {necessarily|essentially} {lend a hand|help|assist} to make {seriously|critically|significantly|severely} {articles|posts} {I would|I might|I’d} state. {This is|That is} the {first|very first} time I frequented your {web page|website page} and {to this point|so far|thus far|up to now}? I {amazed|surprised} with the {research|analysis} you made to {create|make} {this actual|this particular} {post|submit|publish|put up} {incredible|amazing|extraordinary}. {Great|Wonderful|Fantastic|Magnificent|Excellent} {task|process|activity|job}!|
Heya {i’m|i am} for {the primary|the first} time here. I {came across|found} this board and I {in finding|find|to find} It {truly|really} {useful|helpful} & it helped me out {a lot|much}. {I am hoping|I hope|I’m hoping} {to give|to offer|to provide|to present} {something|one thing} {back|again} and {help|aid} others {like you|such as you} {helped|aided} me.|
{Hello|Hi|Hello there|Hi there|Howdy|Good day|Hey there}! {I just|I simply} {would like to|want to|wish to} {give you a|offer you a} {huge|big} thumbs up {for the|for your} {great|excellent} {info|information} {you have|you’ve got|you have got} {here|right here} on this post. {I will be|I’ll be|I am} {coming back to|returning to} {your blog|your site|your website|your web site} for more soon.|
I {always|all the time|every time} used to {read|study} {article|post|piece of writing|paragraph} in news papers but now as I am a user of {internet|web|net} {so|thus|therefore} from now I am using net for {articles|posts|articles or reviews|content}, thanks to web.|
Your {way|method|means|mode} of {describing|explaining|telling} {everything|all|the whole thing} in this {article|post|piece of writing|paragraph} is {really|actually|in fact|truly|genuinely} {nice|pleasant|good|fastidious}, {all|every one} {can|be able to|be capable of} {easily|without difficulty|effortlessly|simply} {understand|know|be aware of} it, Thanks a lot.|
{Hi|Hello} there, {I found|I discovered} your {blog|website|web site|site} {by means of|via|by the use of|by way of} Google {at the same time as|whilst|even as|while} {searching for|looking for} a {similar|comparable|related} {topic|matter|subject}, your {site|web site|website} {got here|came} up, it {looks|appears|seems|seems to be|appears to be like} {good|great}. {I have|I’ve} bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
{Hello|Hi} there, {simply|just} {turned into|became|was|become|changed into} {aware of|alert to} your {blog|weblog} {thru|through|via} Google, {and found|and located} that {it is|it’s} {really|truly} informative. {I’m|I am} {gonna|going to} {watch out|be careful} for brussels. {I will|I’ll} {appreciate|be grateful} {if you|should you|when you|in the event you|in case you|for those who|if you happen to} {continue|proceed} this {in future}. {A lot of|Lots of|Many|Numerous} {other folks|folks|other people|people} {will be|shall be|might be|will probably be|can be|will likely be} benefited {from your|out of your} writing. Cheers!|
{I am|I’m} curious to find out what blog {system|platform} {you have been|you happen to be|you are|you’re} {working with|utilizing|using}? I’m {experiencing|having} some {minor|small} security {problems|issues} with my latest {site|website|blog} and {I would|I’d} like to find something more {safe|risk-free|safeguarded|secure}. Do you have any {solutions|suggestions|recommendations}?|
{I am|I’m} {extremely|really} impressed with your writing skills {and also|as well as} with the layout on your {blog|weblog}. Is this a paid theme or did you {customize|modify} it yourself? {Either way|Anyway} keep up the {nice|excellent} quality writing, {it’s|it is} rare to see a {nice|great} blog like this one {these days|nowadays|today}.|
{I am|I’m} {extremely|really} {inspired|impressed} {with your|together with your|along with your} writing {talents|skills|abilities} {and also|as {smartly|well|neatly} as} with the {layout|format|structure} {for your|on your|in your|to your} {blog|weblog}. {Is this|Is that this} a paid {subject|topic|subject matter|theme} or did you {customize|modify} it {yourself|your self}? {Either way|Anyway} {stay|keep} up the {nice|excellent} {quality|high quality} writing, {it’s|it is} {rare|uncommon} {to peer|to see|to look} a {nice|great} {blog|weblog} like this one {these days|nowadays|today}..|
{Hi|Hello}, Neat post. {There is|There’s} {a problem|an issue} {with your|together with your|along with your} {site|web site|website} in {internet|web} explorer, {may|might|could|would} {check|test} this? IE {still|nonetheless} is the {marketplace|market} {leader|chief} and {a large|a good|a big|a huge} {part of|section of|component to|portion of|component of|element of} {other folks|folks|other people|people} will {leave out|omit|miss|pass over} your {great|wonderful|fantastic|magnificent|excellent} writing {due to|because of} this problem.|
{I’m|I am} not sure where {you are|you’re} getting your {info|information}, but {good|great} topic. I needs to spend some time learning {more|much more} or understanding more. Thanks for {great|wonderful|fantastic|magnificent|excellent} {information|info} I was looking for this {information|info} for my mission.|
{Hi|Hello}, i think that i saw you visited my {blog|weblog|website|web site|site} {so|thus} i came to “return the favor”.{I am|I’m} {trying to|attempting to} find things to {improve|enhance} my {website|site|web site}!I suppose its ok to use {some of|a few of} your ideas!!\

I’m reminded of those students who go to great lengths to cheat on tests, when it would be easier, and take less time, to simply learn the material.

Spammers, please take a hike.

More:


Milestones: 4,500 posts

March 24, 2013

4,500 posts here? Where else is “4500” notable? Look at this beautiful, vintage computer from 1986, a National FS-4500: This MSX 2 computer was marketed as a wordprocessor system, and indeed it is! It has a big 24 dots thermal printer built-in, wordprocessor software (Word Processor, MSX Sentence Paragraph Exchanger, Dictionary, MSX Address Book, Name Card and MSX JE 1 & 2). Impressive. It was available in black or white case. Image and caption from OldComputers.com

Just passed 4,500 posts here at Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub.  Closing in on 4 million views.

If I had a nickel for every post, or a penny for every view . . .

4,500 is a good number, for posts for a blog named after a hoax perpetrated about the obscurity of our 13th president.

Any other significance to the number 4,500?

Dodge Ram 4500

Dodge Ram 4500, at Chrysler’s Saltillo Plant, Saltillo, Mexico.


3.5 million and counting

July 2, 2012

Which is considerably more than Rutledge Taylor can get to see his crappy movie, even with the assistance of his famous girlfriend.

Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub turned over 3.5 million readers today, or about a day’s worth at some of the great pseudo-reality sites like Watt’s Up, or the popular sites like P. Z. Myers’ often-brilliant and much more scientific Pharyngula.

Thank you to each and every reader.

More:

3.5 million is:


On the road, again . . .

June 19, 2012

Blue Marble 2012 - Arctic View

Image by NASA Goddard Photo and Video via Flickr

Haven’t caught up with stuff from last week’s tour of the Midwest.  In Washington, D.C., today, and little chance to post.

My apologies.  Much to talk about.

Read the old posts, eh?


4,000 posts, 3.4 million readers

May 6, 2012

Either that last post, or the one before it, was the 4,000th post at Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub.  (Two different post counters give two different tallies.)

Kathryn Knowles and Ed Darrell, at the Grassy Knoll, Dallas

Kathryn and me. checking out local history at the Grassy Knoll , next door to the Sixth Floor Museum in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, in 2011; photo by Darrell Knowles.  Really.

Thanks to gracious readers who have clicked 3.4 million times on those 4,000 posts.  Great thanks to the one-in-a-thousand who leave a comment. We work for accuracy here, and comments pointing us to new information and better information always help.

Please tell your friends to come over and give us a piece of their mind.  Surely they can find some topic here on which they have an opinion.


Real life difficulties, please stand by

March 31, 2012

Or get a cup of coffee, or an ice cream cone, and relax.

1937 map of area near Porlock, Somerset, England

Porlock is a village in Somerset, England. I wonder, where does he get the "Porlock, Jr." moniker? This is a 1937 map of the village, Wikipedia image.

It’s been a rough couple of months, personally, away from the blog.  So I’ve got the two lowest-posting months in the history of Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub, back to back.

Regrets, and apologies to faithful readers (especially to Porlock, Jr., who is having some bizarre difficulties leaving comments which may require a trip to WordPress HQ in San Francisco to work out — any excuse to visit the City by the Bay, eh?).

I’ll try to clean out the drafts-to-be-posted bin, and otherwise get some life in the old Tub for you, faithful readers.  It’s not that there aren’t things that need to be blogged, nor that I haven’t had anything to say about events.  Not enough time to get everything else done, and find time to write.  I’ll try to mend that issue.  Thanks for hanging with us.

Wish me luck with the off-blog stuff, will you?  Thanks.

Spectacular San Francisco Famous Downtown Land...

San Francisco at night, photo by Jon Sullivan, Creative Commons copyright; image via Wikipedia


What a crappy week

February 10, 2012

Would have, could have, should have been a great week, especially with those 11-, 12- and 13-year old Scouts showing so much moxie and understanding of Constitutional rights and history on Monday night.

From The Guardian:  British boy scouts around a fire, 1910

Photo from The Guardian: British boy scouts around a fire, 1910; Boy Scouts provided boosts in morale, and solid security work around Britain's perimeter during World War I.

They couldn’t have had my back the rest of the week, though, and I’ve got wounds to nurse as a result.  Sorry about the pause in postings.

“Rhapsody in Blue” with the Dallas Wind Symphony on Valentine’s Day; next week looks better.

Leo Cullum cartoon from New Yorker, "Good news . . . it's a metaphor."  CondeNast store

Leo Cullum's classic cartoon from New Yorker. CondeNast store asks $125 for its smallest print; might be a good buy for me this week, if Cullum autographs it. (Click image if you want to buy one.)


Thoughts on top ten search phrases

November 21, 2011

Of course there are many others, but these are the top ten search phrases that hit on this blog today:

  1. famous long poems about life
  2. build a prairie
  3. natural lakes in texas
  4. only the dead have seen the end of war
  5. political cartoons
  6. texas
  7. texas map
  8. how to deal with dementia
  9. ddt
  10. japanese american internment camp original dorothea lange

“How to deal with dementia?”  Do you suppose those queries hit on how well I deal with demented commenters, or the fact that I deal with them at all?


3 million and counting higher*

October 9, 2011

I estimated wrong.

Millard Fillmore's head, in wax

Millard Fillmore's head, from Futurama, tallying hits at Millard Fillmore's Bathtub.**

Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub passed 3 million hits sometime this afternoon:

  • 3,000,536 views all-time (7:51 p.m. CDT)

That’s about a month’s traffic on P. Z. Myers’ blog, Pharyngula (I’m estimating wildly); that’s a couple day’s traffic on Anthony Watts’ blog, Watts Up, even though most of the time you can’t find out what’s up from that blog, even if you need to know just the facts.

Which brings two aphorisms to mind:

  1. A lie can run around the world before truth gets its boots on.  (Let’s attribute it to Mark Twain, just to tweak the fans of Charles Haddon Spurgeon; even Spurgeon said it was an aphorism.)
  2. We’ve been fighting ignorance since 1973.  It’s taking longer than we thought.  (Paraphrase of the motto of the “Straight Dope” column.)

Truth takes longer, even for a guy who writes quickly and can post non-stop, like Myers.

For those few readers who have stuck it out, thanks.  For those new ones, stick it out for a while.  To all of you:  Hey, would it kill you to leave a comment when you drop by?

Thank you.  Thank you a lot.  Thanks, and come again soon.

_____________

*  Yeah, it’s a jab at Rutledge Taylor’s ill-tempered mockumentary, “3 Billion and Counting.”  No one can say what the 3 billion things are, and the movie is wildly error-prone, even for a mockumentary.  Plus, it’s not funny, like “Best in Show.”

** No, it’s not really from Futurama (but wouldn’t that be cool — Filllmore and Nixon together?)  I linked to the photo at Presidents “R” Us.com — but they were kind enough to link to that same photo at the Bathtub, earlier.


3 million Monday?

October 8, 2011

Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub may have its 3 millionth reader on Monday, October 10.  At present rates, Tuesday for sure.

Thank you, readers.


On the 7th floor of the 6th Floor Museum

July 27, 2011

Posting is slow this week, some of you have noted.

I’m on the 7th floor of the old Texas School Book Depository building.  Teacher training, you know.  A great series of sessions put together by the 6th Floor Museum, with the Library of Congress and Texas Bar, on teaching with original documents using the resources of the 6th Floor Museum, a unique Dallas resource.

I’ll have pictures, and probably more . . . eventually.

Please feel free to comment away.