Presumably referring to this blog entry, a reader asks...

What? You test your code? If it compiles ship it. If it doesn't then comment out the bits that error and try again! Let Dodginess rule!?!

Of course I test my code. How else do I know it's right? Not testing my code would be like filling out a su doku grid with random numbers and declaring it complete.

On the subject of my recent shave, a reader shares...

Hmmm I reckon the arms and chest should be waxed as well... it is for a good cause!

Ah... sadly I read this too late. Maybe next time.

Allegedly apropos this entry a reader declares...

Very nice site!

It's not that nice really. Neither are the spelling or grammar in the following email received from our property managers in the UK:

Dear Pete

I am asking my contractors for there advise on the situation as soon as I have this I will let you no.

Kind Regards

Ssssss Tttttt
Property Managment

How embarrassment!

I realise that I have been harping on about Leukaemia Foundation's World's Greatest Shave a lot over the past four weeks. It's all done and dusted now and so I justed wanted to wrap up with a thank you to everyone who supported me, particularly in the past 24 hours.

When I woke up yesterday morning, I was anxious about the day ahead. Having never had my legs waxed, I was concerned about the pain that lay ahead, particularly given the very hairy nature of my legs. At 12:30, I went to Claire Françoise's salon and after a brief wait was led to a little room with a couch and a bucket of hot wax. K came in too, to take some photographs for you people, which I will upload later today.

I have to say, folks, that my anxiety was for nothing. Claire was very fast and in no time at all, I was looking down on a pair of freshly-waxed, pale white, freckle-covered legs. I was reminded of an early scene in Spike Milligan's book 'Puckoon', where The Milligan is giving out to The Author on writing such legs.

Back at the office, I was told that it was now time to go downstairs for my head shave. This was never a part of the plan, but there we go. There was a WGS event happening on the ground floor of my office block, so it seemed appropriate to do it there and then where some of my sponsors could witness the event first-hand. You will have to make-do with the photographs!

This morning, after an hour locked away in the bathroom (during a thunderstorm for effect) with a large tub of Veet and a Mach III, I emerged with smooth arms, chest and head. Again, there will be photos online later today.

You've kindly donated $2,120 to the Leukaemia Foundation. I'm extremely grateful for your generosity. And now, I have to concentrate on hair growth ahead of my brother's wedding in Swindon, England on 12 June. Thank you very much.

The Leukaemia Foundation World's Greatest Shave is happening this weekend!

To bring you up-to-date:

1. I thought I'd raise a few bucks by shaving my head.
2. People wanted more to give more, so I offered to shave my legs as well as my head for $500.
3. You called for my legs to be waxed, so I asked for $1,000.
4. I'm now sponsored to the tune of $1,782!
5. Claire Françoise Salon in Melbourne's CBD are going to wax my legs tomorrow (Friday) lunchtime!
6. If I raise $2,000 by Friday, I shall shave my arms and my chest, too.

Your donation will make a difference, in the short term it could mean the loss of more of my hair, in the long term it will help those suffering with leukaemias as they undergo treatment. As an Australian tax payer, you get to claim your tax back at the end of the year! You'll be sent a PDF receipt when you donate (let me know if you think you've donated but not received a receipt).

Photographs will be shared via my Flickr Stream after the event.

Most importantly, here is the link you need to sponsor me. Every dollar counts. If you cannot spare a dollar right now, then perhaps leave some words of encouragement on my profile page. I really appreciate the support.

Many, many thanks for your generosity, financial or otherwise.

Last week, after I hit the $1,000 target that would mean that I have to wax my legs, I mentioned that I am dreading it. I've been hearing many tales of home-waxing and also have had the scene from The 40 Year Old Virgin recounted to me more times than I would like.

Yesterday evening I had a very nice email from Claire Françoise, telling me that her studio would love to be a part of the World's Greatest Shave and that they would be more than happy to inflict 'pain' on me for the sake of a good cause.

Since the Claire Françoise Salon is only a few blocks away from my office, I can pop by in my lunch break next Friday for the dreaded waxing.

This has calmed my nerves a little, knowing that professionals are on the case. I promise to take some photos of the event and to blog of my first waxing experience. I'm sure it shall be an experience.

According to the total on my profile page, my arms and chest are still safe but there are still ten days to go, so you still have time to sponsor me.

Now I must think about how to execute the head shave... I'm open to suggestions!

Thank you all, once more, for your amazing support. I really am very appreciative.

Dear all,

You are quick, and generous. You are kind but brutal. I thought that calls for me to have my legs waxed were harsh, but you've quickly rallied together and raised the extra $500 I suggested would be enough for this to happen. And now it must. I have to say that I am dreading this.

Now there are calls for a "BSC". I'm sorry to have to disappoint but despite my hirsuteness, for reasons unbeknownst to me, I don't have a hairy back. And since neither the 'sack' nor the 'crack' will be photographed in the name of good taste, this would be a pointless (yet painful, I imagine) exercise.

Since you have reached the $1,000 target I feel duty bound to offer more so that you might do the same. This time I am doubling the target to in return for my shaven arms and chest.

I feel I should mention that this is not an event that I am undertaking lightly. I really, really don't like shaving my face in the morning. To shave more than that is a huge ask, so please drop by my profile page, give generously and help me help the Leukaemia Foundation in World's Greatest Shave.

As ever, I'm deeply thankful for your support, be it financial or emotional!

Much love;

--paj

P.S: If there are any Olympic cyclists, swimmers or cross-dressers out there, I have a burning question: Do you use the same shaving products for your face as your body hair or do you use a products aimed at women?

Rather than reply by email, I'd like to reply by blog to the following correspondence (top-posted, of course)...

Dear Mr. Delbridge,

Thank you for your kind email. Today, I am breaking my own rule
and replying to an unsolicited email, I hope that you appreciate
the magnitude of this decision. 

I am delighted that you were interested in my profile. I presume
it was the profile here
<http://my.imisfriendraising.com.au/personalPage.aspx?SID=54895>
that caught your eye. Which part was it, precisely that
interested you? My (rather insignificant sum of) money is on the
waxing!

The very best way for you to contact me for further details is by
leaving a message on the page linked above.

Right now, I have no usage for £33M in sterling, but the
Leukaemia Foundation <http://www.leukaemia.org.au/> could really
use the extra cash.

If you sponsor me the sum of thirty-three million pounds
sterling, I shall shave my entire body and keep it that way for
one calendar month. After that, I'm afraid I shall have to let
the hair grow back or there will be Hell to pay when I return to
the UK (from my country) for my brother's wedding in June!
Details as to where to deposit this money can be found here:
<https://secure.imisfriendraising.com.au/registrant/donate.aspx?EventID=9529&LangPref=en-CA&SPID=1239819>

Thank you (and Natwest Bank Plc, London) kindly for your altruism!


Best regards;


--paj

On Wed, 2009-02-25 at 17:37:33 +0000, Mr.Richard Delbridge sent:
>   From: Richard Delbridge.
>   PO Box 10720
>   217 Strand
>   London WC2R 1AP.
>
>   Good day,
>
>      I am Mr. Richard Delbridge;I have an important request that make me
>   contact you. I found your profile very interesting and decided to reach
>   you directly to solicit your assistance and Guidelines in making a
>   business investment and transfer of (£33M GBP) to your country within the
>   Next few days. I presently work as a senior Finance Director, Offshore
>   Mortgage & Services with Natwest Bank Plc, London . I will split it into
>   two parts, First, I will transfer 12.5M GBP,thereafter i will transfer the
>   balance of 20.5M GBP for a magnitude investment to your country.
>
>        But at this moment, I am constrained to issue more details about this
>   profitable Business investment until I get your response by mail. Please
>   take out a moment of your very busy Schedule today to respond back to me
>   if you are interested; kindly send your name and direct telephone numbers
>   through this mail ([1]privatebox1977@hotmail.com) for an initial
>   confidential communication. I wish for utmost confidentiality in handling
>   this transaction. Awaiting your reply,
>
>   Mr. Richard Delbridge
>   Snr.Finance Director.
>
>References
>
>   Visible links
>   1. mailto:privatebox1977@hotmail.com
    

I don't like sending out emails to large lists of people, but sometimes needs must and yesterday I sent out two mass emails to people in order to gain more sponsorship monies for the Leukaemia Foundation.

Those emails are clearly paying off. Rather generously, you have taken my total past the $500 target and two three things must now happen. One, when the time comes I must shave my legs as well as my bonce. Two, I have to raise my fundraising target. Three, I have to provide you with some incentive to keep giving. Five, you must continue to sponsor me!

It is with great trepidation that I announce that if you help me raise $1000, I shall answer your repeated calls to not only shave my legs, but wax them too. What have I let myself in for?

So please now pop by my profile page and show your support by leaving words of encouragement, advice on how to wax(!) and most importantly a donation. Every single dollar counts. Once you have done this, please pass on the message to one friend or family member.

Deep thanks to all of you.

I forget if I mentioned that I'm taking part in the Leukaemia Foundation World's Greatest Shave on 14 March 2009, but I am, so there and I'm looking at ways to raise more money.

Yesterday my delightful wife asked me if I was going to just shave at home or if I'm going to have an event to mark the occasion. To be honest, I'm yet to decide.

Please take a moment to pop over to my profile page and leave a message as to how you think I should execute the shave. Perhaps you'd pay good money to use the clippers?

While you're over at my profile page, I encourage you to drop some coins in the collection tin.

Many thanks to all that have already donated and to those still to donate.

I have been delighted, so far, with the generosity of those of you who have donated to the Leukaemia Foundation World's Greatest Shave, that I mentioned recently, am mentioning now, and shall continue to mention until I've extracted every penny that you can afford to give!

My friend B left the following comment on my profile page:

There are many people out there who would pay good money for you to shave your legs. But I'd hope you'd wax too....?

If those many people are reading this, perhaps they would pay that good money of which B speaks and sponsor me?

As for waxing... how much is that worth to you?

Heartfelt thanks to those who have sponsored me and to those of you who will sponsor me!

On a different note, I have been asked to note that things aren't rosy over at Facebook. Frankly, I can't stand the site, as I demonstrated by deleting my Facebook account last month.

Dear treasured blog reader,

I really need a haircut! But I'm putting it off for another month, because I'm taking part in the Leukaemia Foundation World's Greatest Shave on 14 March 2009.

Please take a moment to look at my Profile Page. While you're there, I'd like you to support me by making a secure online donation using your credit card. Or whomsoever's you have to hand!

I'm told that every hour of every day, at least one person in Australia is diagnosed with leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma and that every two hours, someone loses their life to blood cancer. So, please help me raise as much as I can for the Leukaemia Foundation. Their vital work provides patients with practical support during their long and tough treatment, as well as funding important research.

Photographic evidence shall be shared.

Many, many thanks in advance!