Since 10 am this morning I have received almost 30 similarly formatted spam emails. The spams all contain attachments and are either 78 or 79 KB in size.

As I have a collect-all email account, messages sent to any @taheny.com email address end up in my inbox. These spams are addressed to many different, seemingly random, @taheny.com addresses. Another common link are they all have the following at the bottom of the email:

*-*-* Mail_Scanner: No Virus

*-*-* TAHENY- Anti_Virus Service

*-*-* http://www.taheny.com

I have my own anti-virus service? This is news to me.

If ever you receive similar messages or even any emails with attachments that you are not expecting do not open them. Even if you know the sender, their address may have been hijacked and the attachment could contain a virus or other damaging software.

Here is a screenshot of my email account ‘Trash’ folder featuring the similar spams:

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings again from Mersin, Turkey!

The end of 2004 is rapidly approaching. I hope this year was a good year for everyone with great outcomes and a positive base set for 2005 and beyond.

The main highlight of 2004 for me was my trip to Iran this summer. The friendly people, unique culture, food, crazy traffic, history and architecture of this much maligned country were well worth visiting. In future I want to return to Iran for a longer trip. You can read about Iran on the August, September and 3 October archive posts at Taheny.com.

Other highlights of 2004 were Port winning the AFL premiership, attending a high-society wedding with friends in Aleppo, Syria, winning my court case against the Turkish electricity distributor, Brad and Olivia visiting, winning 735,000,000 lira in the Turkish lotto, Maria singing at Cazara, hearing about my high school’s 10 year reunion (unfortunately, I couldn’t attend) and getting in touch with former classmates, and many, many other occasions. Apologies if I have not mentioned occasions I should have – there were so many highlights.

I wish those who celebrate Christmas a wonderful and happy time, particularly for people suffering in the cold climates! Believe it or not, but this my 4th cold-climate Christmas in a row. Christmas is actually meant to be like this!

1 January not only brings 2005, but also signals the introduction of the New Turkish Lira. I was not alive when Australia changed currencies and this will be the first time I will experience a currency change first-hand. I’m excited! To inform people about Turkey’s currency change I have started a website at NewLira.com. I hope you find it interesting.

Once again, I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a healthy, positive 2005!

Lots of love,

Joe

(emphasis added)

Hello Joe, just wondering what you will be doing for Christmas. we are getting organised for the onslaught on Saturday, really looking forward to it. I have many lists made and day by day instructions so I shall be organised on the day. I am sure I have already said that Dads family will be here, 29 in total and for a traditional hot meal. It will be 38 degrees tomorrow but thankfully a cool change later in the day and 27 degrees forcast for Saturday. We will organise tables for outside, start with a prawn coctail, so that everyone gets a taste, then the hot roast meal of turkey, chicken, pork and lamb plus all the vegies. Then onto pudding with real sixpences in it, or trifle.

Well I am really tired. Dad and I get up most days at 5.30am, only because we are awake, and the mornings are beautiful. But it makes for a long day.

Take care and enjoy your Christmas. Love Mum.

Sounds brilliant…

Reuters has some good analysis on Turkey’s chances of succeeding with the currency changeover.

In the meantime, I have added my own predictions on what will happen at NewLira.com.

I’ve just come back from the coiffeur after a haircut, shave, shampoo and massage all for 6 million Turkish lira (just over USD $4) plus 1 million lira tips to the barber and his helper. A few times I was close to falling asleep. Aren’t haircuts great therapy?

If Google sees http://www.googleturkiye.com/ I believe a few lawyers will be busy.

EDIT: In case the website is pulled, I have added homepage and top & bottom screenshots for “Mersin” search results below. Click on the pictures for larger screenshots.

Homepage:

Results page for “Mersin”

Top:

Bottom

Do you think Google has a good case?

UPDATE [2004/12/22]: GoogleTurkiye.com is still in existence.

If you are not squirmish or at work, for a laugh, check out the archived best matching results for ‘joe’.

WARNING: the file is 345 kb and contains adult content!

Saturday night I suited up for friend Hakan’s wedding to Merve. I met Hakan through my first flatmate in Mersin, Ali. Hakan’s family run a flour sales business.

The wedding was held in the south-facing (shown in the above photo) ballroom on the 46th level of the Taksim International Hotel. The views of Mersin’s city centre at night along with the harbour, Republic Square (Cumhuriyet Meydani) and the ship lights in the bay provided a great backdrop.

The night was fun with good food (several courses), friends (Hakan’s and Ali’s classmates), Turkish dancing, a five piece band playing Turkish folk songs and a wonderful newly wed husband and wife.

Towards the end of the night, people lined up to congratulate the newly wedded husband and wife, with gifts of gold and money. I placed a 20,000,000-lira note in Hakan’s shirt pocket.

After the wedding, 3 or 4 cars followed the married couple back to their new flat. As is the tradition, each car’s hazard lights were flashing but Hakan discouraged horn beeping as the time was past midnight. Outside the flat we waited for Hakan and Merve to finish changing their clothes and whatever else they were doing. We then went to Cici Kunefe for kunefe!

All the best to Hakan and Merve in their wedded life!