Phineas T Barnham, where are you?

Got the following email at work today:

"The Coca-Cola Foundation, is glad to notify you that you have been chosen by the board of trustees after series of secret deliberations as one of the final recipients of a Grant/Donation for your own personal, alleviate poverty across the globe, and business development.

The Coca-Cola Foundation, was established in the year 2000 by the Coca-Cola Multi-Million Groups.

To celebrate the 9th anniversary program,the Coca-Cola Foundation in conjunction with other relevant bodies is giving out a yearly donation of £12,000,000.00 GB Pounds ( Twelve Million Great Britain Pounds Sterlings) each to 10,000.000 lucky recipients.

This specific cash Donations/Grants is awarded to recipients worldwide; in different categories for their personal business development and enhancement of their educational plans.

At least 15% of the awarded funds should be used to develop a part of your environment. This program has been conceived with the objective of human growth, alleviate poverty across the whole globe, educational, and community development, which is a measure to universal development strategy.

These grants are issued every year around the world in accordance with the objective of the Coca-Cola Foundation International to alleviate poverty across the globe.

Kindly note that you will only be chosen to receive the donation once, which means that subsequent yearly donation will not get to you again. Take time and thought in spending the donation wisely on a project that will stand the test of time for you.

You were selected among the 10,000.000 lucky recipients to receive the award sum of £12,000,000.00 GB Pounds ( Twelve Million Great Britain Pounds
Sterlings) only as yearly charity donations/Grant from the Coca-Cola Foundation in accordance with the enabling act of Parliament.

You will be required to contact the Finance Portfolio Officer through the below contact information to direct you on how to redeem/Remit your prize. of £12,000,000.00 GB Pounds ( Twelve Million Great Britain Pounds Sterlings) Only."

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That's one hundred and twenty TRILLION dollars of largess from Coca Cola!

The really sad thing is people fall for this stuff.

But it brightened up my afternoon.
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Pig? I'm not a pig!

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Now if it was Guinea-swine flu...who would care?
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Some stray wedding pics...

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Simon, Richard, Martin & the best man, Dave Lane.

Late developer

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Apparently George W Bush listed "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" as one of his ten favourite books of his childhood.

He was 23 when it was written.

Funny. Embarrassing for George but really it does show how our memories are reconstructions rather than recollections.

Never trust an eye-witness.

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Troubled times for Piglet

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The Wedding, Part 2

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This photo was taken out on an open platform near the top of the KL Tower.


Steady hands.


The lovely Roni.


The view from the reception area.

The KL tower, from the base, while waiting for a taxi.

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Sorry for the quiet of late - got back from five days in Malaysia yesterday, straight back to work.

Will post more over the weekend.

Promise.

Two days in the job.

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I'm still here. Just a little dizzy and bewildered.

I am now "Laboratory Director" of a reasonably large laboratory in Melbourne; part of a worldwide chain of American laboratories; so, who knows, I may get to the US yet.

I have tried to sever the links between the 'work me' and the 'blogging me' - my picture's changed, all links to my website gone. Just in case my various forays into sex, religion or politics touch any unnecessary nerves. Likewise I need to be a little careful with the Chemist's Kitchen blog, dealing only with generic issues, not specific products. Nor will I write about the company or the staff here.

But it has been an interesting two days; lost and floundering as one always is when new at a job. But the people are nice and it is a pleasant work place so it bodes well for the future.

And the coffee is excellent.
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Good news and bad news.

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Good news: as of tomorrow I will be working full time in a laboratory in Melbourne.

Bad news: the learning curve(s) will be steep and I will have my mind elsewhere; blogging will suffer.
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Work in Progress

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Still a way to go but it has been nice to return to painting again.

Have really just blocked out shapes and colours so far but can see where it's heading.

It is on three separate canvasses, fixed to two battens. Destined to be hung slightly separated.

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Next step...

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The next step is a reception for Martin and Roni in Malaysia, up the KL Tower, on April 25th.

In the meantime, Martin and Roni are in NW India for their honeymoon.
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The Wedding

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Richard, Dave Lane, Martin, Simon.


She's late. Where is she?


The bride and her rightfully proud mother.


Doing the ring thing.


Roni & Martin


The view from Mt Rael, the backdrop to the wedding, the following morning.
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A short break...

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The Irish contingent have arrived to stay with us for Martin's wedding on Saturday.

Blogging is a solitary and rather antisocial past time so I will adjourn for a few days. (I can blog tonight, they have all collapsed after staying up all day.).

I shall return with pics of the wedding.
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Confession time

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Yes, all my posts yesterday were inspired by April Fools day.

A Curate's Egg - Eel skin wallets and their effect on credit cards.

The Curate After Dark - Clomipramine, the drug that makes you have an orgasm when you yawn.

Hen Buddhism - The Second Coming Project, aiming to clone Jesus from DNA in old Holy Relics.

The Odd Angry Squawk - The call sign, N166ER, on Air Force One.

The Chemist's Kitchen - Tha Celery has negative calories.

As it happens, all sounded suitably April Foolery, but two are true and three are false.
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On eels and wallets.

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And now for something different.

Reports that residual electric charge in the eel skin used to make eel skin wallets is demagnetising credit cards.

There it is men, the way to stop your wife spending - buy her a nice eel skin wallet or purse!
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Do they read what they write?

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So this a "one-in-100-year" flood that rivals a flood 13 years ago. Is that correct?
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