From the Editor
This August issue contains tips to help you spend less time working as well as ways to enjoy your leisure time more. The work shortcuts include how to "unstick" a web page and how to save time by creating groups of e-mail contacts. You can also protect yourself from phishers by reading our warning about a current e-card scam, and save time on cooking and homework by checking out our featured Great Sites. While you're there, have some fun with a superhero movie release, a site for college football fanatics, and guidance for new golfers during National Golf Month.
Your Local Help Desk
Question: Sometimes when I try to download a web page, it gets "stuck" and the requested page does not appear. When this happens to me, I go back to the address bar and type the web address in again. Is there something else I could do?
Answer: Keep in mind that the Internet is like a huge highway system with traffic going in a variety of directions all at the same time. Sometimes traffic gets "held up" at virtual intersections along the way. This "getting stuck" phenomena is so common that browser makers have created a button to help out. Next time a web page gets "stuck," simply click on the "Stop" button and then the "Refresh" button on your browser's menu bar. (The "Refresh" button applies to Internet Explorer; use "Reload" if using Firefox or Safari.) If the web page still doesn't download, follow these steps:
1) Click your browser's "Stop" button.
2) Type a question mark at the end of the URL in the address bar.
3) Press the return key. This alternative may force the page to reload.
Email Scam: Bogus e-cards not from friends, but from Phishers
Have you received e-mails recently that say you have an e-card waiting for you from an unnamed schoolmate, family member, or neighbor? They're probably from phishers trying to lure you to websites that deliver a malicious Trojanhorse program to your computer. At first glance, these e-mail messages may appear to be legitimate, since they claim to come from companies like Hallmark, Blue Mountain, and 123Greetings. But take a closer look.
Go to this URL for an example of a bogus e-card notification
Now, go to this URL to compare it to an actual e-card notification from Hallmark
To protect yourself, watch for these clues to help spot a fake:
- There is no personalized greeting that identifies you as the intended recipient of the e-card, nor is the sender identified by name.
- The actual web address is different from the one displayed in the message. If you receive an e-card notification of this type, DO NOT click on the link. Simply delete it from your Inbox.
Sites of the Month
Make It Quick
This time of year tends to be hot and hectic so you probably won't want to spend much time cooking. Speed up your meal preparation with a quick trip to this recipe site. It contains lots of ideas for fast and healthy meals that you can throw together in a flash, without needing to run to the store. There are plenty of kid-friendly and vegetarian dishes, and even super-simple recipes with six ingredients or less.
Hit the Books
Since the school year will soon be beginning, it might be smart to bookmark this library site for the students in your family. It pulls together leading reference resources in a single convenient spot, including Wikipedia, WorldCat, Library of Congress, and Britannica. You can also ask homework questions, find science project ideas, and listen to the two-minute Daily Almanac Podcast featuring historical happenings, notable birthdays, and a word of the day.
Root for the Underdog
There's no need to fear. Underdog is here! The superhero canine bursts onto screens this month in a new live-action rendition of the classic cartoon from the '60s and '70s. Comedian Jason Lee is the voice of Underdog, an ordinary beagle that unexpectedly obtains superpowers (including the ability to fly and speak) due to a lab accident. While on this fun Disney site, play the Underdoggames Super Fetch and City Sweep, and check out the funny Underdog bloopers. Rated PG.
Football Fanatic?
Kick off the start of the 2007 College Football season with a visit to this site, which includes breaking football news, teams conferences, rankings polls, scores standings, statistics, and recruiting information. Follow the action of your favorite college teams, get tickets to games, and look ahead at the schedule for the upcoming problem. There's also a link to the College Football Search Engine.
National Golf Month
August is National Golf Month, and if you haven't taken up the sport yet, now is a great time to take a swing at it. Play Golf America is an organization dedicated to encouraging more people to learn and enjoy golf. Their site features all the basics to help you get started, such as the rules of golf, equipment, and golf etiquette. Simply type in your zip code to find golf courses and lessons in your area. Then get ready for a "hole" lot of fun!
In This Edition
>Your Local Help Desk
>Tech Tips & Tricks
>Sites of the Month
>Pail of Sand Cake
>Feature of the Month
>E-Mail Scam
>Internet Classes
Feature
of the Month:
To save you money, we are now offering our OWN Long Distance service that features no monthly fee and rates as low as 10.7¢ per minute. Action is requried if you wish to switch to our new diversiCOM Long Distance service.
To switch, or for more information, please visit our website or call us at:
256-7471
548-3200
597-3333
764-7600
Free Internet Classes
Courtesy of diversiCOM
Browsing Only
Sauk Centre High School
Computer Lab Room 14
August 13, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
E-mail Only
Sauk Centre High School
Computer Lab Room 14
August 14, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Browsing Only
Melrose High School
Media Center (library)
August 20, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
E-mail Only
Melrose High School
Media Center (library)
August 21, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Browsing Only
Eden Valley High School
Computer Lab Room 127
September 4, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
E-mail Only
Eden Valley High School
Computer Lab Room 127
September 5, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Call to register:
256-7471
764-7600
597-3333
548-3200
This novel cake, topped with crushed cookie "sand," will be the hit of any beach party.
INGREDIENTS:
1 baked 8-inch round cake
1 8- to 9-cup capacity new plastic sand pail
24 oz. unsweetened applesauce (or 1 3-oz. package pudding, prepared)
1 cup crushed graham crackers or cookies
Shell candies
1 plastic shovel
DIRECTIONS:
1. Cut the cake into 1-inch slices. Fit the slices into the pail, alternating layers of cake with applesauce or pudding, ending with applesauce.
2. Sprinkle on the crushed cookie sand and top with shell candies. Now dig in with the plastic shovel.
(Excerpted from family.go.com)
Tech Tips and Tricks
Do you find yourself sending messages to the same group of people all of the time? Do you get tired of going through your address book each time you send a group message to select the individual e-mail addresses of your recipients?
Outlook Express, Thunderbird, and Macintosh's Mail.app e-mail software programs each provide a method for putting e-mail addresses into a "group" to then easily send a message to multiple recipients at once. This option allows you to simply select the name of a group and then everyone listed inthe group will receive the message without having to type in each individual e-mail address. It's a very handy shortcut. Here's how to do it:
Sending Group E-mail Messages Using Outlook Express 6 In Windows XP Home
Edition
1) Open Outlook Express.
2) Click on the "Addresses" button on the Outlook Express toolbar or select
"Address Book" from the Tools drop-down menu. The Address Book Window should appear listing your contacts in the right hand pane of the window.
3) Click on the "New" button on the Address Book toolbar and select "New Group" from the drop-down menu. The new group's Properties form should appear
4) Type a name for your new group in the Group Name field. "Work," "Family," or "Friends" are good examples. Don't use a name like "Goofy People I Work With" because the name that you use for the group is the name that will show up in the "To" field of your message.
4) Click your cursor arrow on the "Select Members" button on the right side of the window. A double paned Select Group Members window will appear.
5) Highlight a name, multiple names, or all of the names from the listed contacts in the left hand frame and click the "Select" button at the top between the two panes. This will move the highlighted contact or contacts into the Members pane. Click "OK" when you've finished and click "OK" againto close the new group's Properties window
6) Click the red "X" to close the Address Book and use the new group name when you create your new e-mail message.
Sending Group E-mail Messages Using Thunderbird 1.5 on Mac OS X or Windows XP Home Edition
1) Open Thunderbird.
2) Click on the "Address Book" button on the Thunderbird toolbar. The Address Book will open.
3) Click on the "New List" button on the Address Book toolbar. A dialog box
will drop down.
4) Give the list a name in the "List Name" field. The other fields are optional. Don't fill in the big field that says "Type email addresses to add them to the mailing list:" unless the addresses you are adding are not in your current Address Book. Click "OK" to close the box.
5) The new list that you just named should now appear as a separate folder in the left side of the Address Book pane under your Personal Address Book. If you don‚t see it, you‚ll need to expand your Personal Address Book file by clicking on the expand sign next to it.
6) Next, highlight a name, multiple names, or all of the names from the listed contacts and drag them onto the icon for your new list in the Address Books pane.
7) Close your address book and create a new e-mail message. Click on the "Contacts" icon in your new message's toolbar. Select your "Personal Address Book" in the Address Book drop-down menu.
8) Click on the name of the new list you created and click on the "Add to To:" button. Compose and send your message.
Sending Group E-mail Messages Using Mail.app 2, Address Book 4.0.4, and Mac OS X 10.4.9
1) To create a group of contacts, you will need to start by opening your Mac's built in Address Book application.
2) Under the "File" menu, drop down to and select "New Group." A new group will appear in the list in the Group column.
3) Type in a new group name. "Work," "Family," or "Friends" are good examples. Don't use a name like "Goofy People I Work With" because the nam
that you use for the group is the name that will show up in the "To" field of your message.
4) Click on the "All" icon at the top of the Group column and a list of contacts will appear in the Name column.
5) Highlight a name, multiple names, or all of the names from the listed contacts in the Name column and drag them onto the icon for the new group in the Group column.
6) Close the address book and use the new group name when you create your new e-mail message.
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Disclaimer
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 Melrose Telephone Company or it's employees. This is a free service of diversiCOM Melrose Telephone Company to enhance your Internet surfing experience. It is our policy to not share your e-mail address with any third party for any reason.
©2007 Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc.