DO I SMELL SOMETHING FISHY?

Vincent Bueno (photo from digitalpinoy.org)

Couples of months ago, Tom of MySpace issued a bulletin or put a notice on my MySpace account. The notice said something to this effect: that my account had been phished and that messages might have come from or have been sent by my account but which could have not been sent by me. I was advised to change my password and not to use that password ever again. Which I did.

I signed up on MySpace, a social networking site, purposely to send messages of praise to Vincent Bueno who likewise has a MySpace account and who was then fresh from winning the grand prize in the Musical! Die Show, a reality talent competition in Austria.

I could not send any message to Vincent whom I admire so much unless I sign up on MySpace. This was because I did not know Vincent Bueno personally then and did not know of any means by which to congratulate him.

Vincent was responsive enough to answer my messages which numbered more or less 10 for the whole year of 2008. His last message was dated December 1, 2008 but he has not replied to my other messages since then. I was thinking that, being a star in far away Austria, he might have been very busy in his recording activities as well as in his singing and dancing engagements. Lately, he has been “dancing with the stars” as seen in some video clips uploaded on YouTube.

On the latter part of 2008 and on the early part of 2009, I noticed the words “web filter” appearing on the computer screen every time I opened my email or blog. Could it be that I was being monitored in my use of the Net?

I also noticed that the number of my friends on that particular networking site was diminished and my blog followers (this blog) also decreased in number. But I could only guess the reason why.

Just recently, someone forwarded to me an email with content I could not figure out nor decipher as the characters it contained appeared like they were html codes. Its subject read: VB: Will he answer? I wonder!!!

I was wondering if VB could have stood for Vincent Bueno. When I asked the person who forwarded that email what could the initials VB mean and what was her reason for sending same to me, she could not give me any answer. All she said was that it was just forwarded to her also.

Incidentally, the person who forwarded subject email to the person who forwarded it to me was that very same person whom my anak-anakan (a young guy, also named Vincent, whom I treat like a son of mine) told me had advised him to steer clear of me.

I do not mean anything by this, of course. I am just writing objectively.

But do I smell something fishy? Or am I getting paranoid? Just mere coincidences? One thing is for sure—I’m kinda confused!

"ABOUT ME"

Background: Vincent Bueno's photos from vincentbueno.com,

digitalpinoy.org and his MySpace.com page

Social networking on the Internet has gained wide spread popularity not only among the younger set but the senior citizens as well.

I, myself, signed up for membership in a couple of social networking sites and really found it quite fun.

There is a portion in the My Profile’s page of a member’s account that tells about some important information and characteristics of the member. That is the About Me portion. And the information are entered by the member himself.

My particular self-description entered on that aforementioned portion is as follows:

“I believe I belong to the creative arts. I love music, I compose verses, and I sketch a little. Too, I have a penchant for writing. I am maverick, outspoken, and too good to be true. I cannot sing and dance the way others do, but I love to listen to their songs and to watch them dance. I have not outgrown my love for music.

“I consider VINCENT BUENO my rescuer… my hero! My extraordinary fondness for him and love for his passionate singing and graceful dancing as well as the pride in myself that I automatically gained (being a Filipino) upon the world's recognition of his great talents, liberated me from the fears and anxieties that had possessed and enslaved me for decades. Vincent Bueno is God’s instrument in setting me free!

“Excerpts from my neuro-psychiatric test result: ‘Possessing an above-normal I.Q., combined with a talent to communicate and express his sentiments, subject can possibly adopt to almost any situation. Patience, optimism, sociability—these are his tools to his success in life…’”

I am posting this simple article purposely to emphasize the very important role Vincent Bueno has played in my life. For I owe him a debt of gratitude.

I know even Vincent Bueno himself would be puzzled by this declaration. Hopefully, in some future blog entries, I’ll be able to further expound on this topic. And they are coming.