Letters to the editor.

Ah, the cut and thrust of international debate. My new blog has spawned some interesting correspondence. One of my readers, a Mr Derick Kluvert of the Netherlands, writes:

ATTN-SIR

IMPERIALGRAND PROMO LOTTERY,

ALFONSTRAAT B564,

179 BS AMSTERDAM,

THE NETHERLANDS.

FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER,

INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,

REF: OYL /26510411582/04

BATCH: 24/00319/IPD/AZ

ATTENTION:

RE/ AWARD NOTIFICATION; FINAL NOTICE

We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today, 30th august, 2004 of winners of the IMPERIALGRAND PROMO LOTTERY,THE NETHERLANDS/ INTERNATIONAL, PROGRAMS held on 28th May, 2004.

Your email address,is attached to ticket number 0234-0148-1790-459, with serial number 5073-11 drew the lucky numbers 43-11-44-37-10-49, and

consequently won the lottery in the 3rd category.

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of US$5,500.000.00 in cash credited to file REF NO. OYL /26510411582/04. This is from total prize money of US$80,400,0 00.00 shared among the seventeen international winners in this category. All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 25,000 names from Aust ralia, New Zealand, America, Europe, North America and Asia as

part of International Promotions Program, which is conducted annually.

CONGRATULATIONS!Your fund is now deposited with a Security company

insured in your name. Due to the mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep this award strictly from public notice until your claim has been processed and your money remitted to your account.

This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by participants of this program.

We hope with a part of your prize, you will participate in our end of year high stakes US$1.3billion International Lottery.

To begin your claim, please contact your Claims Agent;

MRS DEBORAH ALLISON

FOREIGN SERVICE DIRECTOR,

on email address(deborah_allison@caramail.com )

Please send your Telephone and Fax nos along.

For due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated account of the official bank to the lottery matters.

Remember, all prize money must be claimed not later than 30TH SEPTEMBER, 2004. After this date, all funds will be returned as unclaimed.

NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in every one of your

Correspondences with your agent.

Furthermore, should there be any change of your address, do inform your claims agent as soon as possible.

Congratulations again from all our staff and thank you for being part of our promotions program.

Sincerely,

MR DERICK KLUVERT

THE PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR,

IMPERIALGRAND PROMO LOTTERY,THE NETHERLANDS.

ALFONSTRAAT B564,

179 BS AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS.

N.B. Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result to disqualification.

SORRY FOR THE LATE INFORMATION THANKS

It's an interesting hypothesis, certainly, but I feel that Mr Kluvert is being a tad disingenuous.