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Destonius · Apr 7, 2005, 04:23 AM

I can't give you the details on the matter, but I have just been ripped off by a group of people in a SE Asian country. I know the house that I met in, I have some witnesses and have the phone number and e-mail address of one of the members of the crime. I have given him a final warning before I take any legal actions, but things are looking really bad for me. Despite all odds, I have to take all the actions that I can before I give up and all.

Here's a part that I need your help : I had another contact information in my Apple Addressbook application, but I had deleted it before making a backup of the data. I believe that she has already changed the e-mail account and her mobile number, but I need all the clue I can get. If I can get the number, maybe I can trace the owner's backgrounds with the help of police. I don't know. Is there any way for me to retrieve the data which I have stupidly deleted few days ago? Thanks for your help.

Randman · Apr 7, 2005, 04:25 AM

Do you have any other backup? If so, you can get that. If not, data rescue might be able to pull the info back but it's expensive.

But, if it's as serious as you say, you should seek legal/police help.

Destonius · Apr 7, 2005, 10:52 AM

Thanks for the advise. I'm in a different country right now, trying to figure out what to do. I'm planning on taking a legal action, but the law around here's different, you know. The police and the law aren't too kind to foreigners.

budster101 · Apr 7, 2005, 11:00 AM

Are you a US Citizen? Go to the nearest US embassy and let them help you figure it out.

RonnieoftheRose · Apr 7, 2005, 11:16 AM

If you can deal with the loss get the hell out of there and go home before somebody decides to put you out of their misery. I mean it. If people are willing to commit a crime against you they can go much further to protect themselves. Go home right away.

budster101 · Apr 7, 2005, 11:19 AM

Solid. Word.

Destonius · Apr 8, 2005, 05:28 AM

Thanks for the advise. I really appreciate it.

No, I'm not an American. I went to school there for very long time though. I would love to go back there.

I'm VERY low on cash now, so I'll have to wait for few weeks for some money here before I can return to the country in which the problem occurred. Once I'm there, I am going to contact the embassy of my country and the local police, even if they may not be all that helpful. I can not just let them go like this. (But I won't be acting like I'm in Kill Bill or Bourne Identity/Supremacy, if you know what I mean.) For now, I just keep a low profile and stay where I am.

d0ubled0wn · Apr 8, 2005, 06:33 AM

Well, if you're serious about recovering the data off the hard drive, stop using that computer. The data may be deleted logically from the app, but it may still physically be there on the hard drive.

Back in the day, there used to be utilities to undelete files. But that was back during OS 8/9 days. Don't know if such utilities exist on OS X. Perhaps a unix guru might be able to help.

effgee · Apr 8, 2005, 06:38 AM

Originally posted by d0ubled0wn:
... Don't know if such utilities exist on OS X. ...

Give Data Rescue a try - it's about as fast s sap running down a tree trunk but it might be able to get the job done.

buffalolee · Apr 8, 2005, 08:23 AM

You need to find a data recover company or software.

Company: Very expensive, but has a higher degree of success
Software: Cheap, and you shall pray for it to find something
.Mac: Maybe it is on .Mac? The service has saved me a few times.

Destonius · Apr 8, 2005, 09:28 AM

Thank you guys. I'm downloading Data Rescue trial which allows me to retrieve one data, which is all I need.

It's really hard for me to accept the situation for you never imagine these things happening to you. I'm trying very hard to accept it as it is and be as positive as I can be, counting the blessings and all. I'm thinking about something that Napoleon Hill taught me, that in every adversity, there's a seed of equal or greater opportunity. It's so easy to pretend to have mastered all that wisdom of life stuff, but it's times like this that you are really tested and forced to reach down to the deepest part of you, summoning the strengths you didn't know you had.

Whatever happens, I'll accept the consequences and continue to pursue my vision of life. It sucks and hurts very much, but I'll make it through. What doesn't kill me can only make me stronger, right?

Thanks so much for your kind support. You guys are the best!!

budster101 · Apr 8, 2005, 09:51 AM

Originally posted by Destonius:
Thank you guys. I'm downloading Data Rescue trial which allows me to retrieve one data, which is all I need.

It's really hard for me to accept the situation for you never imagine these things happening to you. I'm trying very hard to accept it as it is and be as positive as I can be, counting the blessings and all. I'm thinking about something that Napoleon Hill taught me, that in every adversity, there's a seed of equal or greater opportunity. It's so easy to pretend to have mastered all that wisdom of life stuff, but it's times like this that you are really tested and forced to reach down to the deepest part of you, summoning the strengths you didn't know you had.

Whatever happens, I'll accept the consequences and continue to pursue my vision of life. It sucks and hurts very much, but I'll make it through. What doesn't kill me can only make me stronger, right?

Thanks so much for your kind support. You guys are the best!!

What doesn't kill you, doesn't kill you, you are welcome, and yes, we are the best.

typoon · Apr 8, 2005, 10:47 AM

Do you have .Mac? If you do it might be online in your addressbook the last time you sync'd it.

d0ubled0wn · Apr 8, 2005, 04:18 PM

Good point about .Mac� if you have an iPod you can check there too.

edit: Duh, I see you have 3 iPods, definitely check them to see if the address/phone # is there.

Destonius · Apr 9, 2005, 08:18 PM

No luck with .Mac. Thanks for your advise anyway. I really appreciate it.

I'm going through the depression phase now, after the initial confusion phase followed by shock phase. I'll survive. If I see them now, I'll probably get medieval on them on the spot. I have to stick around here until I get some cash to do anything. Sigh...

sugar_coated · Apr 9, 2005, 08:30 PM

All material losses that can be lost can also be regained if you wished so. Worry not hence. Life is short forgive quickly kiss slowly and.

RonnieoftheRose · Apr 9, 2005, 09:25 PM

Advice has a C in it. So does defence.

iDriveX · Apr 10, 2005, 01:26 AM

Sorry, forget the backup, forget data rescue.

"One Ticket to Okinawa Please."

Go get yourself a fricken Hanzo and go to town.

Destonius · Apr 11, 2005, 05:05 AM

lol!! I would love to go to Okinawa, but not like that!!

I've decided that I will just forgive and forget all about the incident and get on with my life. I've lost most of the money I have saved up for travelling, PowerBook upgrade and a new soprano saxophone, but I have to let it all go now. I believe that the loss will be compensated as long as I follow my vision and intuition for I now believe in Infinite Intelligence, karma, etc.

Thing is, the embassy of my country, Japan, is notorious for being absolutely not helpful at all. Useless bereaucratic pinheads. (They are the first to flee in the case of emergencies.) I also don't think that Indonesian police is going to care about my situation. My enemies are probably gone in hiding and even if I trace them, I seriously doubt that I'll get my money back. I can't win.

Thanks so much for your adviCes. I really appreciate it. Looks like I won't be able to upgrade my PowerBook 'til G5 Rev.B in a year and a half, but I'll survive.

Randman · Apr 11, 2005, 05:08 AM

Never play mahjong with locals in Jakarta.

iDriveX · Apr 11, 2005, 09:02 PM

Originally posted by Destonius:
Thing is, the embassy of my country, Japan, is notorious for being absolutely not helpful at all. Useless bereaucratic pinheads. (They are the first to flee in the case of emergencies.)

I would assume you are talking about beauracrats in general, because the Japenese are some of the last to flee in the case of an emergency.

Still, I'd go talk to the Tokyo crime syndicate and see if they can help you. Or go see Pei Mei and he can teach you crane style fighting. All I know I learned from Kill Bill.

And when you catch them and cut off their arm you need to say: "There are two reasons I've let you keep your wicked life...." and then become a shadowy figure that just goes around avenging people's sorrow...

RonnieoftheRose · Apr 11, 2005, 09:06 PM

Don't play Russian Roulette in Vietnam and never mention you have money to an American

effgee · Apr 11, 2005, 09:48 PM

Originally posted by iDriveX:
... Pei Mei and he can teach you crane style fighting. All I know I learned from Kill Bill. ...

Pai Mei was Chinese and hated the Japanese. More importantly though, he's dead - poisoned fish heads. I always thought Elle was a bitch.

macaddict0001 · Apr 11, 2005, 10:43 PM

I would pursue them if they are the type of people who won't beat you or kill you, but make sure that they aren't, you don't want to mistake that kind of thing.

Destonius · Apr 12, 2005, 04:47 AM

Part of me wants to go back to Bali again to visit all the places that I didn't get to go because of the incident and see my new girlfriend (?) from Java once I get some money end of this month, so maybe I'll go with the plan anyway and get a taste of revenge. But for now, I have to just forget all about it and be positive as possible here in Bangkok, practicing my saxophone and taking it easy.

Good news is that it's Thai new years now and everyone is running around with waterguns shooting each other like crazy. That's a low budget fun I can handle right now.

I love Thai people. They love to have fun too, not to mention girls are cute as hell. (Problem is that the prettiest girls in this country are lady-boys, so I have to be careful should any opportunities arise. Achtung!!)

IceEnclosure · Apr 12, 2005, 06:51 AM

Karma's on your side. go strongarm someone and you'll get away clean.

It's 2005. Don't trust strangers, business associates, or anyone handling your money.

Trusting friends, well, take them one at a time.

Oh, and practice punching hard things. Never know when you'll need to crack someone's face.

Captain Obvious · Apr 12, 2005, 07:00 AM

Originally posted by Destonius:
They love to have fun too, not to mention girls are cute as hell. (Problem is that the prettiest girls in this country are lady-boys, so I have to be careful should any opportunities arise. Achtung!!)

WTF are you attracted to that you find transvestites the prettiest?

Destonius · Apr 12, 2005, 08:48 AM

lol!! No, I'm not attracted to transvestites. Not at all. (I'm not homophobic, by the way.) It's a cultural thing here in Thailand. It's totally accepted and normal for men to be girls, so there are many labyboys out there. Sometimes you really can't tell the difference it's pretty scary. I've heard of horror stories about finding out the truth too late back in the hotel rooms. There was a friend of a friend from Sweden who went ahead anyway because 'she' was so beautiful. Good thing I'm not a big drinker.

It's just a strange fact that the ones that are most attractive with perfect physique and face are often ladyboys here. I don't know why that is. Strange but true. Maybe it has to do with their physique being small framed in general. There was a model from Europe who was visiting Bangkok who remarked that these 'ladies' had better legs than any models she has ever seen in Europe. Believe me, these aren't your typical transvestites, like the ones you see in New York.

Anyway, enough of this jive.

Randman · Apr 12, 2005, 08:55 AM

Gotta love Thailand.

Sawatdee Kaa

budster101 · Apr 12, 2005, 09:09 AM

Originally posted by macaddict0001:
I would pursue them if they are the type of people who won't beat you or kill you, but make sure that they aren't, you don't want to mistake that kind of thing.

That *would* really suck.

iDriveX · Apr 12, 2005, 09:45 AM

Originally posted by effgee:
Pai Mei was Chinese and hated the Japanese. More importantly though, he's dead - poisoned fish heads. I always thought Elle was a bitch.

I liked the way you got the 'bitch around the forum censor. I'll have to keep that one in mind. She's a spitter...