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Say, are you looking for an easy way to add some
cheer to your holiday e-mail messages? This month's eNewsletter shows you
how. We also want to take this opportunity to thank you for your business in
2005 and to say "Happy Holidays" from everyone at our office to you and your
family!
We think you'll find the information contained in this newsletter to be a
valuable tool for enhancing your Internet experience.
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In
this edition |
< Your Local Help
Desk
< Tech Tips & Tricks
< Sites of the Month |
<
Top 8 Uses for Fruitcake
<
Feature of the Month
< This Month's Chronicles |
<
Online Bank Phishing
< Internet Classes |
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Your Local Help Desk |
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Feature of the Month |
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Gifts from diversiCOM are great for
everyone on your list!
Choose
from:
Gift Certificates
Annual Internet
Annual Features
Phones and Accessories
Calling Cards
Call
351-1460 or
stop by our office for details!
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Free Internet Classes |
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Browsing Only
Eden Valley High School
Computer Lab Room 127
December 12........7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
E-mail Only
Eden Valley High School
Computer Lab Room 127
December 13........7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Browsing Only
Sauk Centre High School
Computer Lab Room 14
December 19 ........7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
E-mail Only
Sauk Centre High School
Computer Lab Room 14
December 20 ........7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Browsing Only
Melrose High School
Media Center (Library)
December 27 ........7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
E-mail Only
Melrose High School
Media Center (Library)
December 29 ........7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Browsing Only
Kimball Senior High School
Business Lab Room 109
December 19 ........7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Call to register and for
more info:
Melrose Telephone Company
256-7471 548-3200
597-3333 764-7600
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This Month's Chronicles |
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Birthstone: Blue Topaz
Flower: Narcissus
December, 2005
Dec. 1............... Rosa Parks
Day
Dec. 6............... St.
Nicholas Day
Dec. 7............... Pearl
Harbor Day
Dec. 10............. Human
Rights Day
Dec. 21............. Winter
Begins
Dec. 24............. Christmas
Eve
Dec. 25............. Christmas
Day
Dec. 31............. New Year's
Eve
This Day in History
www.scopesys.com/anyday
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Top 8 Uses for Fruitcake |
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8. Use
slices to balance that wobbly
kitchen table.
7.
Use instead of sand bags during El
Nino.
6.
Send to U.S. Air Force, let troops
drop them.
5.
Use as railroad ties.
4.
Use as speed bumps to foil the
neighborhood drag racers.
3.
Collect ten and use them as bowling
pins.
2.
Use slices in next skeet-shooting
competition.
1.
Two words: pin cushion.
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Holiday
Themed E-mail
Question: I would like to send my
holiday greetings this month via e-mail.
I understand that Microsoft's Outlook
Express provides an option to insert a
holiday-themed stationery background on
e-mail messages. Is this true?
Answer: Yes. Outlook Express does
include pre-installed stationery themes
that can be used as backgrounds on your
outgoing e-mail messages. To view them,
do the following:
1) With Outlook Express open, click on
the small black arrow on the right side
of the "Create Mail" button. You will
see a list of stationery names. If the
stationery you want to use is listed in
the drop-down menu, simply select it and
then a new message window will open that
uses the stationery. Add text to your
subject line, type your message, and
send it to your intended recipients.
2) If the stationery you want to use
isn't listed, choose "Select
Stationery" from the drop-down menu.
Click on the stationery you want to use
in the "Select Stationery" window. As
you click on the stationery names, you
will see a preview of each in the
"Preview" pane on the right side of the
window. When you find the one you want,
click the "OK" button to open a new
message window that uses your choice of
stationery. Add text to your subject
line, type your message, and send it to
your intended recipients.
If you'd like to create your own
holiday-themed stationery to insert into
your holiday e-mail messages, read the
last section of this eNewsletter for a
step-by-step tutorial.
Help Desk hours are: Monday - Friday:
8am to 9pm Saturday: 10am to 2pm
Phone number: 351-1460
e-mail:
support@mainstreetcom.com |
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Online Bank Phishing |
Online
Bank Phishing Scams Are Hooking
Consumers
As the number of people using online
banking services continues to grow, so
does the increase in the number and the
variety of Internet-based bank fraud
scams. Below are a couple of actual
examples.
Example 1 Go to this URL:
http://www.cornerstonenow.com/newsletter/section-a/2005/12Dec/example1.gif
Example 2 Go to this URL:
http://www.cornerstonenow.com/newsletter/section-a/2005/12Dec/example2.gif
The above are real-life examples. E-mail
messages like these, often
awkwardly written, include a link
directing the e-mail recipient to an
authentic-looking website. The site,
which appears to be your bank's
website, asks that you submit personal
information (such as your PIN,
checking account, and Social Security
numbers) so the "bank" can "update" its
files. The scammers' goal is to obtain
personal information for identity theft
and/or bank and credit card fraud.
Don't fall prey to Internet-based bank
fraud criminal activity! These types of
crimes, called "phishing scams," have
increased dramatically in just the past
couple of years. According to the
Federal Trade Commission, of the 635,173
complaints it received in 2004, 246,570
were identity theft reports and 388,603
were fraud complaints. Information
provided to scam artists by unsuspecting
online bank users has been a major
contributing factor to these high
numbers.
Here are some steps you can take to
avoid being "hooked" by bank-related
phishing scams:
*If you get a message or even a pop-up
browser window that asks for personal
information, don’t reply. Legitimate
companies do not collect information in
this manner; it's guaranteed to be a
scam. Don't click on suspicious file
attachments either.
*Keep your anti-virus and firewall
software running and up-to-date. Some
phishing efforts attempt to place
viruses and spyware on your computer.
*Forward the bank phishing messages to
the financial institutions that the
scammers are impersonating. Nearly all
banking websites now have e-mail
addresses to which you can report
phishing scams.
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Tech Tips & Tricks |
Create Custom Stationery
Using Outlook Express
Outlook Express includes built-in stationery templates
that can be used for outgoing e-mail messages. This can
be especially handy this time of the year when e-mailing
your holiday greetings to friends and relatives. If none
of the pre-installed stationery templates fit your
needs, you can create your own stationery when using
Outlook Express 6 in Windows XP Home Edition by
following the steps below.
1) With Outlook Express open, click on the small black
arrow on the right side of the "Create Mail" button.
Choose "Select Stationery" from the drop-down menu.
2) At the bottom right of the "Select Stationery"
window, click the "Create new" button to open the
Stationery Setup Wizard. Click the "Next" button.
3) To find a photo on your computer to use as a
background, click on the "Browse" button under the
"Picture" section.
4) Navigate to the location where your photo is stored
on your hard drive and then click on the photo to select
it. Your background photo's name should now be shown in
the "File name" box. Click the "Open" button.
5) Select how you want your background photo to be
displayed in your message by experimenting with the
options under the "Position" section. (The "Preview"
section to the right of the window will help you decide
by
allowing you to see a small representation of what your
message will look like.)
6) Choose how you want your photo to be tiled under the
"Tile" section. For example, if you want to tile your
photo over the entire message, select "Entire Page."
7) If your photo doesn't cover the entire background and
you want to choose a background color instead of white,
check the "Color" box. Then select a color from the
drop-down menu in the Color section. Click the "Next"
button.
8) Choose the font, font size, and font color that you
want your messages to be when using the stationery that
you are creating. Then click the "Next" button.
9) Choose the size of your left and top margins. Then
click the "Next" button.
10) Name your stationery by typing a title into the
"Name" field. Click the "Finish" button to create your
new stationery. You will be taken back to the "Select
Stationery" window.
11) Select your new stationery from the list and click
"OK."
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Sites of the Month: |
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Read The Happy Side Of News
http://www.happynews.com - HappyNews.com covers many of the national,
international, entertainment, and sports stories that
the big news services cover. However, Byron Reese, founder and publisher
of the website, says his site's take on the world is more representative
than the negative view commonly seen on TV or in newspapers. Recent
headlines have included "Average Gasoline Prices Drop 25 Cents,"
"Post-Hurricane Rita Weather Helps Crops," and "Mosul Is Policing Its
Own." Is network news making you "down in the dobber?" Try reading
HappyNews.com!
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
http://adisney.go.com/disneypictures/narnia/index.html -
This month marks the long awaited film release of the popular children's
fantasy novel "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe." Written by C.S.
Lewis (AKA Clive Staples Lewis 1898-1963), the story is actually the
second volume in Lewis's seven-part epic entitled "The Chronicles of
Narnia." Be sure to check out
the movie's trailer as well as the five fascinating behind-the-scenes
video clips.
Travel Wisely With Your Pet During The Holidays
http://PetTravel.com - Are you planning to take your pet traveling with
you during the holidays? Be prepared by checking out this helpful site.
It links you to over 28,000 pet friendly hotels. It's also got
information on how to obtain an international health certificate for
your pet, quarantine and inspection information for over 100 different
countries, airline pet travel requirements, travel tips for pet health
and safety, and details on how to microchip your pet.
Celebrating Christmas At Graceland
http://elvis.com/graceland/calendar/elvis_christmas.asp - Elvis Presley
famously decorated his residence for the holidays. Today, the staff of
Graceland continues Presley's traditions with lighted aluminum trees, a
life-size nativity scene, a winding driveway with hundreds of blue
lights, and trees in several rooms. If you can't take in the holiday
tour in person, check out the Graceland Cam, which is available 24/7.
You can also send
holiday e-cards to friends and family. Each card includes an audio clip
of an Elvis song.
Lyrics To Christmas Songs And Carols
http://www.nevada.edu/~blake/Christmas.songs.html - If you are having
trouble remembering whether it's "nine ladies dancing" or "nine pipers
piping" on the ninth day of Christmas in the song "The Twelve Days of
Christmas," this website is for you. The site provides the lyrics to 41
popular Christmas songs and 25 classic Christmas carols. It's time to
"Deck the Halls!" (By the way, the correct answer is "nine ladies
dancing." The
eleventh day has "eleven pipers piping.")
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Disclaimer |
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We do not have financial interest in, or
endorse, any of the sites, or products offered by the sites, listed in this
customer newsletter. No opinions expressed on these sites should be
considered to be the opinion of diversiCOM Mainstreet Communications or it's
employees. This is a free service of diversiCOM Mainstreet Communications to
enhance your Internet surfing experience.
It is our policy to not share your e-mail
address with any third party for any reason. |
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