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The next UrHo blogger?

ManInTheIvoryTowerManInTheIvoryTower
edited November 2012
http://www.whoismcafee.com/the-travel-guide/

One of the greatest blog posts I've read in quite some time. Can we get this guy on UrHo?

Comments

  • Loose_ThreadLoose_Thread
    "I began a program of observation and recording of everything that happened to me. I planted tiny POV video cameras and sound recorders on myself, some of my dogs, all around my property, in my cars, on my boats, at the Studio 54 bar in Orange Walk, on trees, in bushes--everywhere I could. "
  • YoursTrulyYoursTruly
    whoa, that is so intense, that entry. Also he sounds like a fucking maniac.

    my brother has experienced some of this, and I live vicariously through his tales, for never would I venture to replicate them. He drove from Costa Rica to Colorado in a jeep with two grad students and he said by the time they got to the border literally everything in the jeep had been taken. He showed up with just a disgusting blanket. No bag, no souvenirs, no money, no nothing. Now when he goes to Mexico he puts decoy phone/iPod/wallet in hidden locations in the car and keeps the real ones under his clothes at all times. Decoy wallet! In Nicaragua they got ambushed by dudes with machine guns who weren't even police (so, actually really scary) and he responded by screaming curse words in Spanish at the guy and just flooring it while the guy was standing there surprised--which, I might point out, is a classic Women's Self Defense move

    also everyone in the car had dysentery

    WTF

    Different kind of Love of Travel. I am like, please bring me my petit dejeuner whilst I ponder this medieval cathedral
  • MirandaJulyMirandaJuly
    Yeah, I am not interested in that at all :(
  • UncleBoatShoes2011UncleBoatShoes2011
    It should be noted that this dude has been in the news recently because he was a suspect in the murder of his neighbor who was suspected of poisoning his dogs (this all happened in Belize).

    Also he's rich and weird.
  • MirandaJulyMirandaJuly
    And on pure bath salts!
  • ManInTheIvoryTowerManInTheIvoryTower
    This is one of those "only in 2012" type stories that I find fascinating. Drug dealer makes even more money in tech world than he could smuggling drugs, then sells the company and retires to central American compound where his love of guns and novel drugs continues unabated. Experiments with refining new drug compounds and discusses results on internet forums. Gets in trouble with the law and goes into hiding IN HIS OWN HOUSE where authorities cannot find him. Keeps up emailing and blogging the entire time.

    This will end only one of two ways; either he gets off scot-free or goes down in a shootout. I would put the odds at a heavy favorite on the former.
  • YoursTrulyYoursTruly
    wow!
  • LelandLeland
    He also invented a sport that involved racing airplanes around a course on his property. I guess it was superfun until somebody crashed and died.
  • swamp_knobbler_mahanswamp_knobbler_mahan
    He also has a 20 year old girlfriend that is the daughter of one his neighbors that he met when she was 17? #sketchy
  • MirandaJulyMirandaJuly
    I heard he went thru a kilo of coke with Elmo.
  • Dr_William_HaywardDr_William_Hayward
    It's a fun read. But I have to say, really, really try to not pay bribes. It's people like McAfee with their entitlement and Northern hemisphere intolerance for delay that create the bribe culture. Sit down to meet the people and make an authentic connection. Done it. It's always cool to have pics of family to share with people you meet in other countries.
  • ManInTheIvoryTowerManInTheIvoryTower
    While I agree with the sentiment not to pay bribes, I don't think it makes much sense to blame travelers for creating or sustaining "the bribe culture" in Mexico and Central/South America. In many cases they are simply being savvy enough to act like a local. I'm curious if you believe the same about China and Russia?

    Besides, sometimes your hand is forced. In high school I remember my church's youth pastor finally agreeing to pay a bribe after a long discussion with local Mexican authorities who picked out our shiny passenger van with US plates out of dozens of vehicles parked near a market for a "parking ticket". He tried everything but finally realized that ten bucks was all the dude wanted. Or my friend who got drunk and stayed too long in port and missed her cruise ship departure, she had to cross the border from Mexico to Belize for the next stop without her passport and would have been stuck for days if not for her friend Mr. Benjamin.

    If I'm correctly recalling the figure I heard recently on public radio, Mexicans paid $2.8 billion in bribes last year. Billion. Government corruption in developing countries is a systemic and complex problem that has more to do with local economic and cultural realities than the drop-in-the-bucket of 1st world travelers participating in the game.
  • freddyfreddy
    That guy sounds like an entitled, arrogant jerk. Oh wait, he's a white man? What a surprise!!!
  • Dr_William_HaywardDr_William_Hayward
    FTP, I am not familiar with Central America, and I agree with what you are saying. My experience has been in Africa with experienced cotravelers. I or we avoided bribes in many countries, but not completely, where our travel leaders negotiated the bribe from $100 to $5 per person to enter E Congo. The position we took is that bribery is wrong and the bribers know it, but be prepared to spend time negotiating that. In Nigeria there is a long cultural history of tips which morphed into bribes, but I don't remember the name of it. Haven't encountered bribery in the former Soviet republics or China, but wouldn't be surprised if businesses have to pay them. We have our own form of bribery and corruption in Congress/legislatures and executive posts that have to raise campaign funds - see Republic Lost by Lessig.

  • kdawgkdawg
    Reading about this guy gives me a similar feeling to Your Truly's description of bulldozed Colorado mansions.
  • YoursTrulyYoursTruly
    BIG TIME
  • 12341234
    I remember hearing some story about how in Japan you give a "gift" when you rent (apply?) an apartment... it seemed weird.
  • kdawgkdawg
    Oh christ, he's 67?
  • kdawgkdawg
    Of course he's working with effing Vice Magazine now.
  • ManInTheIvoryTowerManInTheIvoryTower
    Regarding bribes for apartments, the same thing happens in NYC.

    Update (via Adrien Chen's twitter): Vice gave away his hiding spot via upload of picture with embedded location info. http://regex.info/exif.cgi?imgurl=http://assets.vice.com/content-images/contentimage/no-slug/8b4cd78e0012f775d7dc621f5498b675.jpg
  • MatthewMatthew
    I really hate NYC apartments
  • 12341234
    Update to the update: The location info in the image was fake?
  • Loose_ThreadLoose_Thread
    No! He just said it was.... you know, to throw them off the trail.
  • 12341234
    So the update to the updated update is that the info is real, but officially announced as false. Got it.
  • ManInTheIvoryTowerManInTheIvoryTower
    Which turns Vice from journalists into criminals for aiding and abetting!

    Cool story bro.

    http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/12/how-vice-got-john-mcafee-caught/

  • YoursTrulyYoursTruly
    edited December 2012
    Wow!

    Vice is so gross and weird
  • MirandaJulyMirandaJuly
    But I'm glad they exist if only to provide a different (gross and weird) voice.
  • MirandaJulyMirandaJuly
    Also, I have totes been to Ambergris Caye in Belize and it was awesome. Would love to go back.
  • ManInTheIvoryTowerManInTheIvoryTower
    Guess who's in town?

    http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2013/01/post_153.html
  • MirandaJulyMirandaJuly
    I saw an article in WW about it!
  • Loose_ThreadLoose_Thread
    Sleaze points for Portland... Think I read a GRAPHIC NOVELIST invited him here to do biography
  • kdawgkdawg
    Fred Armisen impression, season 4.
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