# Explain this surreal series of spam. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 24, 2004, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063 "2004-06-24T19:01:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stately\_plump\_buck\_mulligan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@stately\_plump\_buck\_mulligan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stately_plump_buck_mulligan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063/1 "2004-06-24T19:01:32Z")
My Hotmail manages to block 95% of the spam that is sent to me. However, it also manages to block about 10% of actual email or notification messages, so I periodically check my “Junk Mail” folder. Lately I’ve noticed a series of spam with bizarre titles, so I reluctantly clicked a few. They each contain an image that Hotmail has graciously blocked for me, that links to a URL that I have wisely declined to visit, plus random strings of text. Here are a few: \*\*From: Lincoln Petty \<[xalyirjzjud@front.ru](mailto:xalyirjzjud@front.ru)\> Subject: churchillian is rostrum \*\*And bounce the dark side of her hole puncher.Still borrow money from her from hydrogen atom defined by, plan an escape from her lover around anomaly with hockey player behind.burglar seek around bowling ball.Now and then, pork chop around a change of heart about gypsy over alchemist.Still reach an understanding with her from salad dressing related to, boogie her toward cloud formation with mating ritual living with industrial complex.A few cowards, and beyond fetishist) to arrive at a state of toothpick ekstrom inelegant expand palate hamper spotty billings reminiscent \*\*From: Owen Frederick \ Subject : tabloid 1019 clocks \*\* inside girl scout is fat.But they need to remember how seldom bottle of beer toward garbage can beams with joy.Most haunches believe that living with curse satiate mirror beyond.When carpet tack near hesitates, defined by corporation hides.And befriend the dark side of her jersey cow.trombones remain frustrating. transcription corrosion mortgage resurrect acre extraterrestrial **From : Beverley Howard \ Subject : steam engine bubble baths about 436** Simon and I took hockey player related to hockey player (with living with onlooker, ocean over.Sometimes minivan about toothache prays, but globule living with always fall in love with tape recorder toward swamp!If beyond waif caricature roller coaster inside, then shadow inside trombone gets stinking drunk.When judge from is crispy, cheese wheel for microscope compete with toward gonad.trombone inside pork chop self-flagellates, and related to graduated cylinder sweeps the floor; however, fruit cake around warranty caricature…dolphin about bride, warranty inside girl, and about deficit are what made America great! silk agreeable invective wappinger coriander complementary And so on, and so forth. Can anyone tell me what the point of the randomly generated schizophrenic text is? They’re an entertaining read, but they worry me. Is this an attempt to fool spam filters into thinking it’s a real message (if this is the case, it was obviously ineffective)? Is it simply to lure me into opening the email with a strange title? Or is it something more sinister? Are they designed to control my mind? Is Dali communicating with me from beyond? All of the above? ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063/2 "2004-06-24T19:37:56Z")
Hey, at least yours is in English. I get mine in German for some reason. And, yes, I’m pretty sure it’s an attempt to evade spam filters. In fact, they’re probably just test emails fired off to see which accounts bounce or accept it. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063/3 "2004-06-24T19:51:30Z")
> [@stately plump buck mulligan](#): > > But they need to remember how seldom bottle of beer toward garbage can beams with joy. How very true ☹ ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063/4 "2004-06-24T20:10:07Z")
Has anyone taken all the spam of this sort they get and turned it into a book yet? I wouldn’t expect more than one publishing run and modest sales, but the beauty is that all the spammers would have already done all the work for you. All you have to do is arrange it by approximate subject and surrealness, then go to a publisher. Or, just do some actual work and use it to create poetry. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063/5 "2004-06-24T20:44:29Z")
That spammer is performing a public service. He discovered the manuscript of James Joyce’s lost novel in his attic and is sharing excerpts from it with the world! ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063/6 "2004-06-24T21:06:13Z")
Cool, I checked mine and I’m getting the same crap! > [@Spambastard](#): > > Where we can ostensibly approach our stovepipe.cleavage around takes a coffee break, or living with impresario give lectures on morality to tea party behind.Kathy, the friend of Kathy and ruminates with anomaly toward.But they need to remember how feverishly paper napkin related to eggplant takes a coffee break.Unlike so many starlets who have made their paternal bowling ball to us. > compact diplomacy alcoa racetrack If I were trying to get around filters I would not include words like ‘cleavage’. ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063/7 "2004-06-24T22:21:04Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Or, just do some actual work and use it to create poetry. How about setting it up as a play, in a vein similar to the plays based verbatim on political speeches, pilot-pilot discussions, etc. that are gaining in popularity? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063/8 "2004-06-24T22:31:53Z")
Specifically, I think they are trying to fool Bayesian filtlers. My Bayesian filters still manages to catch most spam, though! And very few false positives. [http://spambayes.sourceforge.net/](http://spambayes.sourceforge.net/) I highly recommend it. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063/9 "2004-06-25T01:12:15Z")
The ones that bug me at the moment are the ones that say “What about my order!” I haven’t opened them yet because they aren’t going to make me look, the dirty crooks. It sounds as if they’re trying to scare me into seeing what they want. What order? I don’t remember any steenkin’ order! Sheesh! Oh, thank heaven for Spamblocker! ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Means\_Go](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cc9497/32.png) [@Green\_Means\_Go](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Means_Go)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063/10 "2004-06-25T02:34:12Z")
Hello all, I work at a company that sells (among other things) spamfilter software. I believe the posters who suggested that this is a way to help the mail avoid spamfilters are correct. IIRC The strange mumbo jumbo text is actually there just to make the email seem fuller. Some spamfilters will catch email that just has a single link to an image like that since normal email just doesnt usually look that way. The text is just randomly generated dictionary words designed to add fluff and act as filler to fool the filter. Perhaps clevage gets in there because of the way the random words are generated. Or maybe the person sending the mail is an insane lunatic struggling to make himself understood so he can share his porn collection with you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063/11 "2004-06-25T03:05:48Z")
What’s the point of it, though? Just to have something to couch the link most sane, above room temp IQ’d people would never click on? The thing that scares me, is that it resembles part of one of my fan fics. The difference is that if you look at this > [@](#): > > In 'morbid nature end vast end rules gave ophans in no game tall or short even every hight in mother arguing going able island no, able north down no or or nothing endless caring are response every scream. If some now 'too they’re hot anoght to serve and dream? Inside 'most no one there’s some unearthed rich elegant Ibided corner aunt remember enemy in faith In love in very evening, others rate it far too hard everything yells kold in lightless lamps more empty when in the hate after long larks those helpless enfants sore enfants terrible enfants so terrible so… > \ > Intricate feathers torn hinges iintricate nothings gray sins doubtful origins nether 'tap what our rights kill our uncle tacks, again never doubt this how evil you devil oh are cuts too uphill all little ladies your kind in liquid lanes more every, place long endless and showered earth might all kept even sour unclean red earth how e’ver some hearts apply pieous pity yards. Impatient 'men can only utter nothings terrible intense nothings grandfather oh no your oh unless, bithday is games birthday rights or their holy eventful race. > > Leave only very endless > Some and more and not three hearts again It does say something…as long as you only read the first letter of each word. I tried some of the spam. They’re even more secret code than mine 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063/12 "2004-06-25T03:15:17Z")
I’m getting some of those too. Never thought about clicking on the weird titles before, but since yours were so odd I figured I’d have a look. The best line I found: _“And derive perverse satisfaction from the dark side of her cheese wheel.”_ :eek: I’m finding that a few words pop up repeatedly. _hockey player, clodhopper, tornado, cream puffs, tabloid…_ Are they randomly generated, or is there a drunk guy with a limited imagination sitting at a keyboard somewhere thinking these up? ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063/13 "2004-06-25T05:21:52Z")
> **[Cuba Tightens Grip on Net Access](https://www.wired.com/2004/01/cuba-tightens-grip-on-net-access/)** > > Cuba further restricts access to the Internet by prohibiting Cubans from using their regular phone lines to connect to the Net. A new law authorizes the Cuban phone company to use technical means to prevent such access. I get a lot of these, but the ones in the OP make more sense than mine usually do. It looks like they made some attempt (whether human-powered or a computer-powered, I don’t know) to make them at least grammatically correct. Very interesting and poetic. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063/14 "2004-06-25T10:19:48Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Or, just do some actual work and use it to create poetry. I have actually done this. All I added was punctionation and line breaks. > [@](#): > > \> in 1944 Google with him X Files Don’t worry > > Procrastination, n. The act of reading spam and turning it into Haiku. > > In '44 > Google with him X files > Don’t worry. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063/15 "2004-06-25T10:27:20Z")
Maybe they’ve been run though an online translator a couple of times! There could be great knowledge within! ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063/16 "2004-06-25T11:32:42Z")
Why don’ t they just use [Lorem Ipsum](http://www.loremipsum.net/)? ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063/17 "2004-06-25T12:36:26Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > It does say something…as long as you only read the first letter of each word. :eek: 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![stately\_plump\_buck\_mulligan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@stately\_plump\_buck\_mulligan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stately_plump_buck_mulligan)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063/18 "2004-06-25T19:52:04Z")
Ooh, here’s a new one that I especially like. Best parts in bold: > [@Lacey Gillespie](#): > > related to grizzly bear starts reminiscing about lost glory, and dissident defined by leaves; however, from scooby snack sell to…football team from is boiled.[b[philosopher defined by tripod panics\*\*, but widow behind scythe tr to seduce for bubble.toward apartment building tr to seduce beyond cab driver.Where we can ridiculously **give a pink slip to our alchemist**.cough syrup inside, **gonad related to cigar, and prime minister over are what made America great!** > bronx monday eastman neck villain chartres ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2004, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063/19 "2004-06-26T00:10:40Z")
> [@Bruce\_Daddy](#): > > :eek: 🆒 Well, I didn’t say it said something _nice_… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2004, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-surreal-series-of-spam/252063/20 "2004-06-26T02:48:44Z")
I think I need a Babelfish. Here is my contribution, which I started a thread with and have asked the mods to remove because it really should be here. What can I say? I was suffering from the LSD-like aftereffects of reading the darn thing. living with taxidermist earns frequent flier miles, and dilettante about fighter pilot takes a coffee break; however, bonbon for hydrogen atom tr to seduce…defined by ruffian recognize living with support group.cargo bay related to compete with cowboy toward minivan, or over midwife dance with sheriff over mortician.Sometimes about tripod self-flagellates, but from turn signal always throw at warranty behind! crowd calgary sousa fresh xi punic sculpt Any submarine can pour freezing cold water on near particle accelerator, but it takes a real garbage can to behind paper napkin. decide quaff apostate wronskian