Hacked Off

You may or may not be aware that two social networking sites, Twitter and Facebook were hacked today as reported here by the BBC. The hackers I'm told create a "botnet" to bombard the host systems with data until they crash. So that is the background, now here is the story.

As you probably know I report all my coin finds in real time via Twitter, so I was a bit miffed that Mrs. Sidewalker did not send me a congratulatory text when she received my first tweet of the day. She does not always send me an encouraging text, but my first find today was a 1940 Wheat Back, and by anyone's standards that is not your garden variety penny. With the right people in the room at an auction this coin could fetch as much as 3 cents as I previously outlined in my numismatic post. Enraged by this text snub I came bursting into Castle Sidewalker demanding that the Lady of the house present herself to me forthwith. After listening to my tirade with a bewildered look on her face she simply laughed (that was not the reaction I was looking for). She told me about the sites being down and sarcastically questioned why a man of my technological prowess would not know that. Then promptly reminded me that less than two months ago I had no idea that Twitter even existed, and then really twisted the dagger by throwing my famous quote from 1999 right back in my face.

And what was that quote I hear you ask? Well it went something like this, "I don't understand what all the fuss is about with this internet thingy, it's only good for getting the weather forecast, other than that it's bloody useless." A decade later I stand corrected...

I'm now going to the Sidewalker laboratory to continue the research and development of my "pennybot".


-Luke Sidewalker
-Current balance $16.09

10 Signs you'll know I've reached a $1,000,000

I'm feeling rather buoyant after my latest finds and I'm accelerating towards my goal, so just in case you are too lazy to check in on the blog every day to follow my progress (shame on you), I have made a convenient list for you to print out and tick below. The more of these things that happen, the closer to my goal of finding a $1,000,000 I will be. So just keep an eye out in the media and check these things off as they occur if you want to be an armchair Sidewalker follower. The day you have all ten checked off you can rest assured I have found my 100,000,000th penny.


□ 1. I will have more Twitter followers than Ashton Kutcher.

□ 2. You will see me on Oprah.

□ 3. There will be no more loose change on the floor of America.

□ 4. A loaf of bread will cost you $2,000,000.

□ 5. My latest Twitter follower will be the Great Great Great Grandchild of my first Twitter follower.

□ 6. I will be invited to participate in I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here 57.

□ 7. The photographic rights to my retirement party will be sold to Hello! e-magazine.

□ 8. Sidewalker Jr. and Little Miss Sidewalker will have soda every night with dinner. (See Tumbleweed Times post)

□ 9. George Lucas will be suing me.

□ 10. You will be buying Sidewalker's Own brand lemonade at the supermarket.


-Luke Sidewalker
-Current balance $11.08

The perils of T.M.I.

Here at Castle Sidewalker we are always trying to push the boundaries of money finding by using all the new tools that modern technology has to offer us, not only to find the money but to deliver the news of the finds in a timely manner to the blog. As you saw just a couple of days ago I started my Twitter account. Well it would appear my novice status with this medium only took two days to come to the fore. If you click on my Twitter updates in the sidebar to the right you will notice an error of epic proportions in my first four Tweeets. In my giddy eagerness to utilize this new tool I think I inadvertently robbed myself of a find and ergo I'm the tool! I had got a text message from a very good source that there was an assortment of coinage littering the sidewalk at 14th and Washington St. in Hoboken. Even after my last post stating that I would only Tweet for finds I could not resist and expanded my mandate ad hoc, but it seems my Tweet about a tip off actually became the tip off (for someone), because when I got to the location I only found two Budweiser bottle caps and an empty packet of Marlboro reds.

I'm ready to take the flack, in fact I'll save you the trouble. Greenhorn Sidewalker, Rookie Sidewalker, schoolboy error Sidewalker! The only redemption being the cent I found as I walked home with my tail firmly between my legs.

-Luke Sidewalker
-Current balance $10.28

New Feature!

I have taken the plunge and decided to join Twitter. This means that I will now be posting my money finds in real time. They will be posted on my Twitter account which can be followed by clicking here or on the link in the sidebar to the right. If you do not want to join Twitter my five latest posts will be fed directly to the blog in the section to the right. I only started this new feature two days ago, but if you take a look you will see I have already tweeted 11 cents! I will not be using it to log my every move, just as a tool to let you know as soon as I've found money, unless as my avid followers you request to know every time I sneeze, go to Dunkin Donuts or use the "facilities"!
I will still keep my Cash trail map updated.

-Luke Sidewalker
-Current balance $10.27