Caution! EMail Hazard Ahead!

No. Your refinance application has NOT been accepted. Your bank hasn't discovered someone from a foreign country trying to sign in on your account, and paypal isn't doing a security check... At least not via a personal email to YOU!

I don't know about you, but I have been getting a LOT of these types of emails lately, and I don't even do double takes any more. They are so obviously bogus I even smile sometimes. I do have a paypal account, but I also know if PayPal wants to communicate with me, they have my phone number. They also use my paypal account name in any and all email correspondence to me... NOT "Dear Paypal user."

I have to admit, they do look convincing, as Brian Whitta pointed out a few days ago with a nice little screen shot of a small sampling of a bogus email from PayPal. He also pointed out a nice little trick all of you should know. Instead of just clicking a link in a suspicious email, hold your mouse over it. Don't click, just hold your mouse pointer over it. Any good email program will reveal the REAL web address either in a popup or in the status bar (bottom) of your email program. Take a peek at Brian's screen shot of a bogus PayPal email... When he held the mouse over what looks to be a legitimate PayPal link, the REAL link showed up. Guess what? It ain't even CLOSE to a PayPal link!



I know we all get a lot of SPAM, and it is tempting to click some of those blasted links, but if you want to keep your machine cootie free, develop a healthy respect for any and all emails from anyone you don't know and from financial institutions. These emails are what your DELETE was made for!

Back in the Saddle Again!

I didn't realize how much I had missed doodling until I picked up TwistedBrush this morning and just let my creative juices flow. A lot of good things have been added to it in the last few months. Here is another wallpaper goodie. If you want the 1024 by 768 version though, you will need to go to the Member area of mrswizard.com. That's where I stash the best of the best goodies as a special thanks to people who care enough to donate to the cause.

If you would like to join the Member's Only area of mrswizard.com, you can read more about it here.

Getting Ready for Vista

Now I have a little free time, I have been reading all I can get my hands on about the new Windows operating system, VISTA... very intimidating and while there seems to be a lot of familiar comforts (right clicking will still give you choices!), there are a few things that make me a bit nervous...

I have pretty much decided to leave my existing computers with XP Pro alone, rather than upgrading them, and will just wait until VISTA is out and already installed on the next machine we order. It is a little different from the way I felt when I had a laptop with Windows ME on it. That operating system was so unstable, it was a joy to upgrade to Windows XP... it seemed to fix all the little glitches that had been plaguing me on that machine. I have no complaints on my XP machines now though. No sense begging for any. If it ain't broke... Well you know.

Down Nostalgia Lane

If you figure it by "dog years," Windows has been around a good long time. Here is a really neat commercial touting a really young Windows! Click Here

Busy Busy Busy!

I know I have been out of pocket the last few weeks, but it was for a great cause!
I finally finished a total revamp of Herschel Freeman's web. We are both quite proud of it, and he worked very hard making sure I had all the information I needed to get the job done.

So (drum roll please!) Here it is!
Herschel Freeman Agency