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Greetings from
Polar's E-Connections Team
We think
you'll find the information contained in this newsletter to be a valuable
tool for enhancing your Internet experience. If, however, you'd prefer not to
receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click HERE. |
E-Mail Hoax - Poisonous Spiders Under Toilet Seats
There
are a couple of variations of the "Poisonous Spiders Under Toilet Seats
Hoax" that have been circulating around the Internet for some time. Here's
an example of how one of the hoaxes begins:
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"In an article by
Dr. Beverly Clark, in the Journal of the United Medical Association (JUMA),
the mystery behind a recent spate of deaths has been solved. If you haven't
heard about it in the news, here is what happened. |
The e-mail hoax goes on to say that the women did not know each other and had
nothing in common with one another other than visiting a restaurant called
"Big Chappies" located at Blare Airport in Chicago within days of
their deaths. The story details how the Civilian Aeronautics Board eventually
discovered the source of the toxicity. It was supposedly from spider bites
caused by South American Blush Spiders nesting under toilet seats of planes
originating from South America. The hoax e-mail concludes by warning the e-mail
recipients that the spiders could now be anywhere but they especially like to
nest in cold, dark, damp places -- like under toilet rims. The hoax encourages
people to lift up and inspect toilet seats before using a restroom facility and
to forward the e-mail warning to everyone they know.
Of course, the entire "South American Blush Spider" e-mail warning is
a hoax. There is no publication called the "Journal of the United Medical
Association." There is no "Big Chappies" restaurant nor a
"Blare Airport" in Chicago. There is also no such organization called
the "Civilian Aeronautics Board" in the United States. The e-mail
also contains the biggest tip that this message is a hoax when it encourages
recipients to "forward the message to everyone they know." If you
receive an e-mail from someone and in the message it encourages you to send the
message to everyone you know, you can be pretty certain that the message is an
e-mail hoax. Resist the temptation of forwarding the message to your friends.
A more recent twist to this hoax began circulating during the fall of 2002. It
claims that three women, all of whom recently visited an Olive Garden
restaurant in northern Florida, died from spider bites. This time the Civilian
Aeronautics Board discovered that the bites were inflicted by Two-Striped
Telamonia Spiders that arrived in the U.S. via airplanes originating from
India. The spiders, as the story goes, like to "nest in cold, dark, damp
places" -- like under toilet rims. Sound familiar? This revised spider
story is also an e-mail hoax.
3 Months Free High Speed
Internet - From Polar!
That's correct......when
you sign up for DSL, Cable Modem, or Wireless High Speed Internet Services now
through April 15th, you'll receive your first 3 months absolutely FREE! Polar
High Speed Internet starts at only $39.95 per month so grab this offer while
you can. Some restrictions apply. Call Polar today for details at 284-7221 or
1-800-284-7222 or visit our website at http://www.polarcomm.com
Ask The Help Desk - How Do I Open E-mail Attachments Using
Outlook Express 6.0?
Question: I recently updated my e-mail
software to Outlook Express Version 6.0. Now that I've done this, I am unable
to open any e-mail attachments sent to me. Attachments are sent to me and I can
see them in my inbox, but they are highlighted with a gray color and I cannot
open them. Please help!
Answer: Microsoft has added a filtering feature into Version 6.0 of
their Outlook Express e-mail software. The purpose of this feature is to block
any potentially infected e-mail attachments from being opened by e-mail
recipients. It's a great idea. The challenge, however, is that it appears that
ALL attachments are blocked, no matter what the content is. The feature is a
default setting on Version 6.0 so you'll need to go in manually to change the
setting if you want to be able to open e-mail attachments. To remove the
default setting so that you are able to open e-mail attachments, follow these
easy steps:
- Open Outlook Express.
- Click your cursor arrow on "Tools" in the
menu bar, and select "Options."
- When the "Options" window opens, click your
cursor arrow on the Security tab.
- A checked box will appear that says "Do not allow
attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus."
Click your cursor arrow on the box to uncheck it.
- Click "OK" to save the change and then close
Outlook Express. When you re-open Outlook Express, you should now be able
to open incoming e-mail attachments. Remember to scan all e-mail
attachments with your virus scanning software before opening them -- even
if the attachment is from a friend.
Great Sites To Check Out This Month
From The U.S. Department of Homeland Security
http://ready.gov/ - Because of the
possible event of another terrorist attack against America both at home and
abroad, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has developed a website called
"Ready.gov." It contains tips on planning for the unexpected in case
of biological or chemical threats, explosions, radiation threats, etc. The main
points covered are the following: 1) Make a Kit, 2) Make a Plan, and 3) Be
Informed. Go to this important site for details.
Famous Quotations
http://quotationspage.com/ -
Will Rogers once said, "Diplomacy is the art of saying 'nice doggie' until
you can find a rock." This site contains a searchable database of over
15,000 quotations. You'll find quotes by presidents, philosophers, comedians,
scientists and writers. They're interesting to read! "I'm a great believer
in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it." - Thomas
Jefferson
Helpful Tax Information In March
http://www.irs.gov/ - Have you
filed your federal income tax return yet? Are you expecting a refund but
haven't yet received it? You can find out where your refund is by clicking your
cursor arrow on the "Individuals" link found under the "Contents"
section of the IRS home page. Next, click on the "Where's My Refund?"
link to securely view your refund information. If you are still gathering
information to file your 2002 tax return and want to review highlights on
changes to the 2002 tax code, again go to the IRS home page. Type in
"553" in the space indicated under "Search Forms and
Publications for:" and click your cursor arrow on the "GO"
button. The resulting web page (Publication 553) will provide you with an
overview of the latest information on tax code changes.
Fun Online Games And Activities For Young Kids
http://noggin.com/ - Are you
looking for some fun, safe games to play online with your young kids or
grandchildren? Here's the perfect site. (You'll have to have Shockwave
installed to participate in some of the activities.) Start out playing
"Play With Me Sesame." (No Shockwave needed.) The little tots will
love it! Other games and activities feature characters from Maisy, Blue's
Clues, Franklin, and more.
March Madness!
http://FinalFour.net/ - It's
time for some March Madness! This link takes you to the official site of both
the Men's and Women's NCAA Basketball Championships. Read what the athletes,
coaches and commentators are saying. The site also provides a history of the
Final Four, a Championship Video Archive, articles highlighting recent big
games, as well as bracket and ticket information.
Short Tutorial - How
To Make Incoming E-mail "Standout" When Sent From Specific People
Do you want e-mail from specific people to stand out more
when they arrive in your inbox? You can use the Outlook Express "Messages
Rules" feature to cause incoming e-mail from specific senders to show up
in color. You choose the sender(s) and the corresponding color(s). You can also
do this for groups of people, i.e. designate all incoming e-mail from family to
show up in your inbox in the color green, designate all incoming e-mail from
co-workers to be blue, etc. Here's how to set up your message rules:
Using Microsoft Outlook Express 5.5 Client Software via Windows 98
- Open Outlook Express
- Click your cursor arrow on the "Tools" menu
and drop down to "Message Rules." Then click on "Mail"
from the resulting submenu.
- Click on the "New" button and the "New
Mail Rule" window will appear. It contains four sections which will
need your input. The first is the area in which you select the conditions
for your rule. The second area is where you choose the actions that will
occur in your rule. The third matches the specific condition with the
specific action's result. The last allows you to name the rule.
- Select the condition for your new rule by clicking on
its check box. In this case, there is only one condition that applies,
"Where the From line contains people." Move down to the third
section where it says "Rule Description" and click "contains
people." Type in an e-mail address, click "Add" and then
click "OK."
- Now, move to the "Select the actions for your
rule" area and select the "Highlight it with color" check
box. Move to "Rule Description" and click "color."
Select your color and click "OK."
- Back in the "New Mail Rule" window, click
"OK." Now click "OK" to exit the "Message
Rules" window and save your settings.
Any mail
from the specified sender will appear in the color that you selected.
We hope you found this newsletter to be informative. It's
our way of keeping you posted on the happenings at our shop. If, however, you'd
prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click HERE.
Thanks for your business!
Best regards,
The E-Connections
Team
Polar E-Connections
©2003 Cornerstone Publishing Group Inc.
Trademarks: All brand names and product names used in this eNewsletter are
trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective owners.