15.3.08

Die Ballade vom Fliegenpilz

Ein Fliegenpilz
gedankenversunken im Walde stand.
“Ich will’s”,
dacht’ er für sich im Sand,

und meinte damit
auf Flügeln das Fliegen.
Ein dienstbarer Geist der hörte mit
und wollte ihm obliegen.

Von Tälern und Hügeln
kamen sie ihm zugeflogen
zuhauf auf ihren Flügeln.
Ganz ungelogen:

Schon mancher, dem das Glück gelacht,
wurde anders beschenkt als er gedacht.

– Felix Morgenstern (© 2008)

14.3.08

I cannot explain it

I smoke, and the mirror
shows no smoke

In fact, the mirror
shows neither my pipe
nor my hand holding it

In fact, my face
and I
are missing as well

– Bhoot (© 1898)

Note
I pulled out this poem by my close friend Bhoot because Totally Optional Prompts' theme Smoke and Mirrors reminded me of it.

13.3.08

Microsoft Lottery (?)

We all know that Bill Gates is one of the shrewdest people on earth when it comes to sniffing a buck against the wind. It is also known that he's a great philantropist, redistributing oodles of his software user-earned $$$ to cancer research, etc.

What's little known is that he's gone senile and started the Microsoft E-Games Promotion Award, of which I am a lucky consolation prize winner, as I've been informed by e-mail this very morning. Yahoo! I've been approved to win an incredible 500,000 £.

All I need to do to collect is send all my essential data, including my mobile phone no. and a copy of an ID, to Bill Gates' trusted friend and caretaker Paulson Depp at the following highly official e-mail address:

mr.paulsondeppclaimmanager@hotmail.com

I'm sure Mr. Gates' generosity doesn't stop with me. I think that you, dear reader, also have the best chances of having won this award and should claim it just like me. So, despite all the severe warnings below, I've decided to let you in on this. Here's the text of the e-mail with all the details on how to go about cashing in:

Microsoft E-Games Promotion Award
20 Craven Park Harlesden
London NW10,
United kingdom.
Registered No: N.I 24284
***************************
Dear Consolation Prize,

CONSOLATION PRICE WINNING NOTICE

This is to inform you that you email have won a prize money of(500,000.00)Five Hundred Thousand Great British Pounds Sterling for the month of March,2008 E-game promotion Award which is organized by Microsoft Windows Inc. Your email address attached to the ticket winning number:MCPA09788 that drew the lucky winning number, which consequently won the Microsoft E-games promotion Award in the second category,in four parts.You have been approved for a payment of 500,000.00 Great British Pounds Sterling (FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND GREAT BRITISH POUNDS) in cash credited to file reference number:MIC/WS68768P/68. This is from a total cash prize of FIVE MILLION GREAT BRITISH POUNDS Shared among the ten international winners that won the second categories.All participants were selected through a Multi international computer ballot system drawn from 98,000(Ninety eight thousand) names of email users around the world,as part of our international promotion programme.Due to mixed up of some names and addresses, we ask that you keep this award personal, till your claims has been processed and your funds remitted to you. This is part of our security measures to avoid double claiming or unwarrantedtaking advantage of the situation by other participants or impersonators.
****************************
PAYMENT OF PRIZE AND CLAIM
****************************
You are to contact this office for further instruction on how to claim your prize with this information.
WINNING INFO:
Amount Won:500,000.00 Great Britain Pounds Sterling.
Batch Number: 0094/AM6880
Winning Number: MCPA09788
Reference Number: MIC/WS68768P/68
****************************
CLAIM DEPARTMENT OFFICE
****************************
Claims Manager: Mr Paulson Depp
Office via Email: mr.paulsondeppclaimmanager@hotmail.com
Office Contact Number + 44-704-572-5696
Winners Care Line : + 44-703-184-6783

Note: The Verification and Claims form should be filled and sent to the e-games promo award manager who will immediately commerce process to facilitate the transfer of your fund to you. For security reason you are advice to keep your winning information confidential till your won price is processed andtransferred to you. This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. Please be warned.
***************************************************************
WINNER'S VERIFICATION FORM AND CLAIM'S INFORMATION
**************************************************
First Name.:
Middle Name.:
Last Name.:
Gender.:
Month Of Birth.:
Age.:
Marital Status.:
Nationality.:
Religion.:
Occupation.:
Address 1.:
Address 2.:
City.:
Country.:
State/Province.:
Zip Code.:
Mobile phone No.:
House Phone No.:
Fax No.:
Email Address.:
WINNING INFORMATION
Batch Number.:
Number.:
Reference Number.:
A Scanned copy of a valid identification card should also be attached (either an International passport or Driver's License) and send with the listed information for claims of your won prize.
*************************************************************
Winners Shall be paid in accordance with his/her Settlement Centre.Microsoft E-games Promotion Prize must be claimed no later than 15 days from date of Draw Notification,that is after the Draw date in which Prize was won.Any prize not claimed within this period will be forfeited.Once again congratulations from the management of the Microsoft E-games Promotion on your consolation price winning,we hope that you will use the winning for good cause.

Congratulations!! once again.
Yours in service,
MR. Silviu Hotaran
(General Manager Europe)
POWERED BY MICROSOFT WINDOWS.
***************************************************************
CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT: The document accompanying this transmission may contain confidential health information that is legally privileged.This information is intended only for the use of the individual or entity mail address above.The authorized recipient of this information is prohibited from disclosing this information to any other party unless required to do so by law or regulation and is required to destroy the information after its stated need has been fulfilled.If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure,copying,distribution, or action taken in reliance on the contents of these document is strictly prohibited.If you have received this information in error,please notify the sender immediately and arrange for the return or destruction of these document.

©2008 Microsoft Corporation.All rights reserved.