Caught by fake Facebook account

I got caught out by a "friend" with a fake Facebook account the other day. Normally I avoid this because I look at friend requests to decide if the person seems believable.

• Does the information seem consistent? Someone from Australia who went to a Pakistani university and lives as an Iraqi goat herder raises questions
• Do they have a history? A lot of fake accounts only go back a few days
• Why should they know me? Although they mostly fail the history test I've had a few friend requests from US soldiers in Afghanistan.
• Why should I believe a new account for an old friend is genuine?Some possibilities
  • A new photo that wasn't on the old account is good.
  • Has the old account continued posting?
  • Failing which a private message to the old account can be enlightening.

In this case I couldn't even remember accepting a "friend" request from this person, but suddenly a private message quickly followed by a photo of their manhood. This was my first on Facebook and it took me a to realise what I was looking at. Instantly unfriended and blocked, but ????

Did P addiction cause Australian murder?

A high profile Aussie rules coach has been killed, apparently by his son. Local papers are suggesting that the son was a methamphetamine addict, and this may have caused the murder.

Less invested social commentators such as Stephen Lord "Lordy" on Google+ have asked:

"Why is it that illegal drugs are an excuse for a crime?

...

Before blaming the drug, try blaming the incredible arrogance or ignorance of the person who used a drug that has a history of turning users violent _anyone recall a story about a homeless guy getting his face eaten off?

How does blaming one illegal act excuse another?"

Source

My answer to him is that western society has invested so much in the view of the drug user as "Victim" and the supplier as villain that its official disinformation channels find it difficult to find any different narrative.

Auckland council officials face corruption charges

Three men with links to Auckland Transport and Rodney District Council have been charged in relation to allegations of bribery and corruption worth more than $1 million between 2005 and 2013.



The SFO said it believed George and an associate, while in
various engineering and management roles either at Auckland Transport or
Rodney District Council, received undisclosed payments or gratuities
from Borlase.



 The payments often came in the form of cash, travel, accommodation and entertainment, the SFO said.



The
SFO said a culture was created within the road maintenance division
where the acceptance of gratuities was part and parcel of the working
environment.

Stuff.co.nz