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(Private) War is coming - how to defend yourself?

13:40 / 28.01.03

Hy, dear 'lithers,

I have a situation here.

There's a guy in my job that's trying to put everybody in bad situations with our boss: he does everything, not just in our "plain real world", but in the magickal spheres too. He's the kind of person who just can feel well when everybody is bad...

So, I'm thinking about create some defenses for myself and for my colleages here in my job. And, who knows some ways to attack...

Any ideas? And please, people, I just can't "illuminate" this person. He's beyond hope, and he doesn't want any...

Player

The Natural Way

13:43 / 28.01.03

Wicked.

14:29 / 28.01.03

Do you have proof that this fellow is working "in the magickal spheres" to make your life difficult? Machiavellian scheming is not a Magickal skill – it's a social and political one. "Feeling bad vibes" around someone doesn't prove they're working malignant magick.

What you need to do is talk to your boss and find out what s/he thinks of your job performance. There's no Magick in that, just common sense. If your boss is happy with what you're doing, it won't really matter what other people say about you, because your work will speak for itself.

However, if you're not doing a good job, and your boss isn't happy with you, then you can't blame the other guy for that. Even if he is a scheming git.

Magick doesn't solve everything, and it doesn't cure all ills. Your situation neds a more direct approach. Good luck.

The Natural Way

15:13 / 28.01.03

But it is wicked and excellent for fighting. BABALITY!

15:33 / 28.01.03

Hi, Badbh Catha.

I don't have direct proof of it, with the exception of what he says behind my back - that he's a "zangão" (candomblé word) and that nobody messes with him; the fact that he tried to put all the others employees (we're 12 here) one time or other, in bad situation with the boss (it's a very little business, how you can see); and that he contributed to my superior (the IT manager) to be fired.

But the cardinal point is that I'm the net administrator here, and I cut his rights to the Internet when I saw for what he was using his bandwidth - to download child pornography.

After that, he just can't support my presence near him.

I don't show what I found in his computer to the boss - I thought it wasn't necessary. But now, I have been feeling depression, no more will to work, or strength to fight one more day. I've been talking to others persons that know his dirt secret, and, almost all of them are feeling the same.

I've already create some defense for me, but the others are still vulnerable. Seeing how the situation is, I thought I'm the only one that can fight "fire with fire".

So, what do you suggest? I can't just turn my back on this...

Player

16:06 / 28.01.03

I think Badb Catha has got a pretty good point, but hey, if you want to "fight fire with fire" (given there actually is fire), then why not

I was thinking along the lines of using his weakness for child pornography against him... Maybe a defensive/aggresive Servitor of some sort.. I`l have to think more on this one though, but I`d be happy to help you out with Sigils, Servitors or the likes..

16:37 / 28.01.03

I don't have direct proof of it, with the exception of what he says behind my back - that he's a "zangão" (candomblé word) and that nobody messes with him...

Have you considered going to a santero (I'm not sure if the same term is used in Candomblé) and asking for help or advice? If this guy is a "zangão" (please tell us what this term means, specifically?), then you'll probably need an expert to deal with him.

If finances are an issue, perhaps your co-workers can help to pay the santero's fee or provide for any materials the santero will need to do hir work.

I don't show what I found in his computer to the boss - I thought it wasn't necessary.

It's VERY necessary. Your boss is responsible for any equipment used by the company, and could very well be held responsible if the child porn is discovered. Also, it will thoroughly fuck this guy over, more than any bloody servitor, sigil or spell. (Quite wicked – Runce will like that.

)

I have been feeling depression, no more will to work, or strength to fight one more day. I've been talking to others persons that know his dirt secret, and, almost all of them are feeling the same.

Deal with the physical aspects first. See a doctor and make sure nothing's medically wrong with you, if you can. Make sure you eat well and sleep enough. Cut down on any partying or going out that you may be doing, at least for now until things settle a bit. If you do decide to see a santero, s/he can give you ideas for self-protection.

It may be best if you work with the idioms within the culture you live in, in regards to how to protect yourself from malignant magick. I find that one hears a great deal about Magickal attacks but very few of them actually occur. (Sorry Runce!) Those who have the ability to do such things, often have better things to do.

Your scheming git may be putting himself across as more powerful than he actually is. In which case, a santero should make pretty short work of him. Don't let him intimidate you.

17:08 / 28.01.03

You've already decided that he has power over you and your colleagues, and in the process, you have given him that power. Now you have to take that power away again. Remember, as far as you are concerned, whatever you believe about him is true.

17:16 / 28.01.03

I don't normally do this, but I'm a bit drunk, so I'm going to recommend an action:

Write the offenders name on a piece of paper
Get a bit of black cloth and a piece of string
Get some spiders web, preferably fresh, even better if it has a fly in it
Put the piece of paper on the bit of black cloth
Lay the web over the piece of paper, binding and trapping the offender in the web
Tie up the black cloth with the string
Bury it
Let the offender rot

Or work out your own binding, maybe search google.com for 'binding spell' to get some ideas.

17:53 / 28.01.03

I strongly lean in the direction of reporting him to your boss (and the authorities), then protecting yourself up the wazoo. I'm frankly amazed that you didn't report him straight away.

17:59 / 28.01.03

You can follow Evy's advice. But I tell you. Don't fight the little shit. Don't even care. Ignore it. Do your job to your best. Report what you have to report. Avoid at possible a gossipy show . He'll either left on his own or someone else may put him away. Either that, or the whole company is destinated to doom, which I don't think so.

So, just wait. Maybe its a test to your patience and sanity, so I'd say to play it on that ground.

19:05 / 28.01.03

Evy: No point in depriving a spider of its home & food – the scheming git probably isn't worth it.

This, however:

You've already decided that he has power over you and your colleagues, and in the process, you have given him that power. Now you have to take that power away again.

is good advice.

19:30 / 28.01.03

Guys, thank you so much for your advices.

I'm a little lost in the line of activity I must follow, I know; I'm the "new guy" in this business (9 months old), so I'm "feeling" how this business works. I know he has a lot of power inside the plant (he's one of the olders here) and, I have to admit, he's a good professional.

In the end, the big problem is, that it could become "my word against his" because he's very macchiavellian and he has a great convincing power over this business. I'm trying not to attack directly, so that's why I just cut his Internet access, not reporting him to the boss, like a last chance for him amend himself. I'm not feeling he's even considering this, so I ask you about a line of defense.

I'll think over all your advices, but I can say now: if I had thought he had any power over me, now I know he has none.

Thanks again.
Player

19:41 / 28.01.03

In the end, the big problem is, that it could become "my word against his"...

I'm no expert on computers, but I've heard that even if files are deleted from a drive, traces of them can still be picked up with the right equipment. So if ever there was child porn on a computer, it will be detected and those traces can be used as evidence.

You might want to ask the folks in the Laboratory forum here about that, someone there might know more about what sort of equipment is used to scan drives for deleted files, and how it works.

Good luck with everything, and don't let that fucker get to you.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

19:51 / 28.01.03

I guess a lot depends on how strongly you feel about child pornography. I'd report the guy on general principles-- that's just evil.

19:52 / 28.01.03

To put it simply, when you delete a file, the data isn't removed from the drive, only from the drive index. With the right software, you can recover the data from the drive. Even if the data has been partially written over already, enough data can usually be recovered to be used for dismissal, but possibly not enough for pressing charges as it may be effectively doctored evidence after the recovery process which may involve some restoration.

21:01 / 28.01.03

"I have made but one prayer to God, a very short one: 'O Lord,make my enemies ridiculous.' And God granted it."
-Voltaire

"Love your enemies just in case your friends turn out to be a bunch of bastards."
-R. A. Dickson

"Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?"
-Abraham Lincoln

"Always forgive your enemies - nothing annoys them so much."
-Oscar Wilde

13:06 / 29.01.03

Child pornography is a crime. Well, I suppose it is in most countries by now. Usually the US holds vigilance of internet trading of related material. Your company might already be under monitoring due to this guy.

16:47 / 29.01.03

I'm with everyone here. Report the sick fuck to the relevant authorities, then - or preferably beforehand, really - do some protective magick.

Though FWIW, if this fuck's going about bragging about being a zhivago, or whatever it is he reckons he is, he probably ain't that hard anyway.

17:33 / 29.01.03

Zhivago:

Doctor Zhivago is a film from 1965

Zhivago's Revenge is a cocktail drink - 1/2 oz Cinnamon Schnapps, 1/2 oz Absolut Peppar and 3 drops Tabasco Sauce

Zhivago Ltd is an Irish 'complete upholstery suppliers' based in Dublin

Zhivagos Restaurant is a Russian restaurant in Ballwin, MO

This is all scary stuff. If this guy is a Zhivago then we are all in mortal danger.

20:28 / 29.01.03

Zangão is Portugese for 'drone', and apparently can mean 'hornet' (like a wasp or bee). Sounds like a black magick fetishist to me.

08:06 / 30.01.03

Zangão is really a portuguese word for "male bee", and that's all I know about it. The "santeria" here in Brazil is divided between candomblé and macumba - and, due to the extension of our territory, and all the diferent and significant variants of beliefs and philosophies between the diferent "terreiros" - how is called the Macumba and Candomblé's centers - he can be of any (if some at all) affiliation.

I didn't discover yet what he "is", or belongs to, but as soon as I find something, I'll keep you informed.

Child pornography is a crime here in Brazil, of course - but it's difficult to prove he was doing anything more than just watching this pornography (I don't have any proof, at all, that he's spreading it), or, even worse, doing it. I just have evidence that he watches and likes it.

It's quite disgusting for me and (I imagine) everybody else in the firm, but, if I want to report this, I'll have to get enough evidence, and wait the right time for it.

For now, I'm doing some protective magick to me, and I'm preparing myself for the right time to attack and get him down. I can't trust the police here, or my boss' reaction - he has a, how can I say, "cardinal position" here, and there's nobody (for now) suitable to take his place.

But he has loose a lot of responsabilities - my boss is taking a lot of work done for him to my colleages. So, I can wait and prepare myself to the right time to attack - I've already planned a servitor for defense and attack.

Player

Less searchable M0rd4nt

22:12 / 07.02.03

What's happening with all this, Player? Any news?

captain yossarian

07:33 / 09.02.03

sorry, "player", but what´s the problem? if he uses his netways to download child pornography you can simply call the police, fbi or whatsoever... no need to fight magickally...

captain yossarian

07:37 / 09.02.03

okay... i answered a little bit too fast... sorry for that. i checked the background through your postings again and find it more attractive that you "eliminate" this guy. the only way to handle those situations is to contact a trustworthy person with magick-skills or to kill the bastard in your corporation. sorry. but you have no other way, i think.

09:13 / 09.02.03

The Santero seems the best idea, as long as they perform some kind of diagnostic first. Again, get to the bottom of exactly what evidence exists on his PC and use this in conjunction.

15:47 / 18.04.03

Hy again. Sorry I took all this time to post a reply...

For now, the things are... a little balanced, I should say. Maybe a little to my direction, anyway...

This week he has done a lot of stupid things - I think he thought he was untouchable, who knows... but, anyway.

He trashed one of the firm's car - and he didn't want to pay for its repair. He also installed the Kazaa in his computer - a program that allow one to get and give any kind of files in the Internet (something like a Napster without a central server). Instead of reporting his child pornography he begun to do again, I told my boss about the "open doors" that this program leaves in our LAN - my firewall reported me something like 50 to 100 hacker's tries by day. So, I received direct orders to uninstall this program from his computer, and to watch all his internet activity.

The secretary's boss has said to me that he's getting really tired of his behavior, and that he's just waiting the signature of a contract with a big client to fire him. And all the people behind and under this guy, in the organization, agreed to the contract - we're waiting just this signature, his approval (sorry, I can't put the client's name here) to get away with the so-called "zangão".

Now, I'm just waiting too, because, after detect his Kazaa, and told my boss about his activities, there's nothing more I can do (in the real world) to put this guy down. And I'm trying to protect myself, more than never.

In the same day I told about the Kazaa activities, in the end of the day, I found my car vandalized. And, I was forgeting to say, two weeks ago, one of the car's glasses broke - out of nowhere, without any phisical reason.

What do you guys think I should do from now?

Less searchable M0rd4nt

19:14 / 19.04.03

So, lemme get this straight... The way you tell it, he's downloaded kiddepr0n onto the work's computer, and not content with this he's then installed the most notoriously spyware infested piece of software on the net. Then he's started trashing cars.

I'm sticking my head out of the astral window and yelling for help.

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

19:53 / 19.04.03

While you're at it I'd have someone do a little something to protect the kids in that porn he's downloading- call the FBI or whoever. Suffering is being caused because of that porn- who knows, maybe the evil shit is abusing children himself- and I'll bet it hasn't stopped. Those children are in danger. You have an obligation now to protect them as well as yourself.

13:57 / 21.04.03

>>>So, lemme get this straight... The way you tell it, he's downloaded kiddepr0n onto the work's computer, and not content with this he's then installed the most notoriously spyware infested piece of software on the net. Then he's started trashing cars.

I do not know if it was him that did it. But it was so much of a coincidence to be... just a coincidence.

He stopped downloading these things for a time (after I had told my boss about it). But, instead of fire him, he hired a new manager for our sector, and he said me to watch his internet use very carefully. He stayed "clean" for 2, 3 months, and begun to download these things again, this time using Kazaa.

I imagine you're all tired of this situation, but, believe me, I even more tired than you. Every morning, before going there, I think about quit myself, but I need this job, and I didn't find anything acceptable in the meantime. I don't know what this guy do, or did, but it's a shame, nobody there will take an action. If he's a macchiavelian guy, he must be the Macchiavelli himself, because it's looking like he can do anything and NOTHING WILL HAPPEN.

My fu**ing boss is saying (or, at least, said to his secretary) that he will fire the guy as soon as the big deal we're waiting for happens, but it's looking like this day will never come. I'm tired, ashamed, fu**ed, feeling myself an idiot to fight alone against a guy like this and the things just being worse for my side. But, by other way, I'm sttuborn enough to not quit without a victory.

And, if I denunciate him to the federals or the police or whatever, he'll know who did it. I'm the only one opposing him directly there, that's for sure. And I don't have real proof, I don't know if he has these things in his home, or if he just see this, and delete them after a time.

I'm tired.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

16:06 / 21.04.03

Auuugh. Player, this must be utterly foul for you. My bad and curse-happy natural instinct is to call down the wrath of Freyja on this person (I tend to avoid the Norse pantheon but she's pretty good against child abusers). However, as I'm still trying to re-adjust after my recent Reiki and Sekhim attunements that might not be the best approach. (Also, whilst I'm inclined to belive your version of events, I don't have any direct evidence against this person and so I can't in good conscience attack them). Instead, I'm going to try and use more benign methods. I'll request support for you, and justice and healing for the children involved in the porn he's downloaded.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

16:14 / 21.04.03

Also: Are you absolutely sure you can't appeal to more conventional authorities for help in this? If he's been downloading these images, they'll remain on his computer even if he's deleted them.

When you delete a computer file, it doesn't actually disappear. All that happens is that the file is marked as deleted and "pointers" used by the operating system to find that file are removed. The file itself is still there untill it's over-written with new data. In the case of informtion downloaded from the internet, it's even harder to hide data, or sites that have been visited.

So even if this person has deleted the files from his computer, the police may still be able to find them.

I understand that you're afraid of this person, but perhaps you could report them to the authorities anonymously?

00:37 / 06.05.03

THE WAR IS OVER!

That's right, guys: my boss decided to fire the guy!

I even don't believe it right, and I don't know if it was because of the (ab)use of Kazaa in the net; but, the fact is that he finally decided to fire the fu**er from the business...

And it was just when I was decided to quit the firm myself... ^_^

Well, I just have to thank ALL of you, dear 'lithers, for all the advices and your opinios and help; it was a true "sholder to cry on" that you gave me here.

And, the really good news is that I don't use any ofensive magick to attack the guy.

Again, thank you all, my friends. Finally, this private war ended.

Player