Last bit of advice: Bitcoinica should put all their USD deposits in a real bank account, with real bankers.
I assured my once friend (more like a close acquaintance), let's call him Jerry (his real first name that he goes by), to not worry about any USD he may have tied up in this Bitcoinica cluster-fuckery, for any fiat (I told him dollars) will surely be in some bank. No place else! It never occurred to me that said money would be in some Mt Gox account. Not in a thousand years. And since I'm speaking of timetables, it never occurred me in a million years that a password hack would happen a THIRD time involving Bitcoinica.
Now, you want to hear something really funny? There are people here in Sandwich that believe that I'm somehow involved with all this. Their proof: Joined this forum, of which they honestly believe is the Bitcoin homepage, around the same time as the Tom Williams hack; Currently, I'm the second highest poster on this official Bitcoin website; and, I must have made all my money from ripping off others worldwide with this invention of mine since they are all aware that I was a broke dick only two short years ago when my dad, a truly broke dick, died.
Here's the kicker: 95% of said people above who believe such nonsense don't even own or know how to operate a computer. Not even Jerry, for he get's his information from his daughter (then passes on what he learns to the others, daily), who works at the bank I bank at and, with his instructions to her, by recommendations by me, indirectly, invest a percentage of his recent financial gain into Bitcoin, choosing Bitcoinica as his most locally choice at the time.
I had no idea at all that the above took place until close to a week after Zhou Tong (no more ZT) started that thread about this recent hack about a month ago, and was approached by Jerry at my favorite restaurant that I no longer frequent as often, one I was closed to having the Albanian owner start accepting Bitcoin, with, "Why did you steal my money?" in front of the regulars of which I've known for years.
So there you have it. A guy who loves Bitcoin, only has $1,000 tied up in the currency as an investment (bought cheap enough); 0 disposable coins at the moment, but will get more so that I can play with the big boys; a $100 a month smartphone contract; three people who have ordered custom leather products from my brother-in-law but have not paid for them, keeping that information from him and the community until now, but WILL NOT mention names (Martin was paid by me via dollars, so he's not out any money); and now have the EPA on my ass because of this
randomly linked article (you're smart enough to put the pieces together), turned in by one of my once close acquaintances (guess what the daily fine is that I'm looking at).
That said, they don't make a font size big enough to express what the hell I'm going through because I simply spread the good word about Bitcoin, then had it thrown back in my face. That only leaves one main orifice left, but fortunately for me, a couple family members are eyeballing that hole now, wondering why the hell I'm still monkeying around with this Bitcoin thingy, for they're now getting their uninformed information from...wait for it...our favorite restaurant's patron saints, owner and staff. I may have to hide my vintage blasting rod and Jergens, for I have this weird feeling... (humor is how I maintain my sanity--no meds, and still eat and sleep well).
Thanks for listening, all. Bless. (though not an active believer, but do express the spirit of the word)
~Bruno~
PS: Note the butterfly effect.
