A Lesson in E-Mail Etiquette: Undisclosed Recipients or Blind Carbon Copying (BCC)

I used to grow frustrated with my older brother's somewhat preachy tones in some of the e-mails he'd write, especially when he would throw in " (sigh) ". It got a little irritating. And yet, I'm the one who is BURDENED with the need for such a HEAVY SIGH, I can barely stand it!!!

I am seriously considering looking up, on the Internet, ways to sell people's e-mail addresses for money. Y'know, for people who want to SPAM. No joke! Do you have any idea how many people's addresses I could sell? All the time, I'm getting e-mail forwards from friends, acquaintances, relatives, all who just forward the e-mail from the last schmuck--never taking the time to erase all the previous e-mail addresses in that got sent along with the e-mail, never taking the time to Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) all the addressees .... So not only am I gaining access to ALL SORTS of e-mail addresses, but there are jerks out there who now have access to mine!!!

Please, PLEASE, do yourself and your friends a HUGE favor: Part One would be to erase all the e-mail addresses when you forward your joke or spiritually uplifting message or political witticism.... Once you hit "forward", you can do anything you want to the message, including hitting the delete button over the addresses or backspace button, or (here's a tough one) holding your mouse down and highlighting all those addresses, then deleting them all at once! Part Two would be to either put your own name in the "To" line and then everyone else's in the BCC line, or you can create an Undisclosed Recipients address (go to Contacts, select "New", type in Undisclosed Recipients in the name area, then fill in your own e-mail address), and use that in the "To" line--again, put everyone else's address in the BCC line.

Folks, if you want to help me and everyone else out by doing this, that'd be great! If you don't know how to use or find your BCC line, comment on this blog, or e-mail me, and I'll help you find it.

This has been a Public Service Message from one very irate e-mail recipient.
Thank you!

New Pictures--Halloween, etc.

I haven't been on my blog for AGES, and I really need to do some personal writing. However, I feel like I ought to catch up on pictures first. So hopefully tonight I can post some recent pictures, and then I'd like to come back in another day or two and update my thoughts. (I really do feel like blogging helps keep me grounded, and I REALLY need that right now!)

We got to go to Vala's Pumpkin Patch during the day on Halloween. The girls and I were there for our third time, but Jim had never been there before, and I honestly don't think I took Donovan last year. (If I did, I've blissfully forgotten the event!)

Look at the bunnies, Donovan!

I didn't do it, I swear! You can't prove anything!

Lindsay, Jim, Donovan and Josie in a GIANT rocking chair.

Okay, trick-or-treating pix. Lindsay and Josie were easily talked into being witches, using last year's costumes, plus new hats and brooms and make-up. Donovan was easy--he LOVES Elmo and the costume was right in front of me one day at Target. It was about $16 and that's about as cheap as I can ever find them. Too perfect!

Scary faces!

Donovan doesn't like the "hood" up.

Okay, hood up, as long as I've got candy!

Lindsay, Josie and Donovan--Halloween '08.

Now, the last thing I need to update on, real quick, is camp. Josie's troop (which includes me as one of its four co-leaders--there are 16-ish girls in the troop) went to Camp Catron last weekend. Catron is just outside of Nebraska City--it's a Girl Scout owned location, and they often have sponsored weekends or day-camps there. However, as the troop went (sans Josie and me--we were in Riverside, CA at the time) this summer for a sponsored event and nearly starved to death, we decided to go it "alone" this time. We brought our own food, drinks, snacks, etc. and planned our own activities. We barely had a moment to spare for potty breaks--it was that jam-packed of a weekend. And did we ever eat! Josie loved it so much, she cried off and on for about two hours when we got home--"I miss Camp Catron! When can we go back?" (Not until we raise more money, dear! After we sell cookies in the spring--hint! hint!)

Making "Hobo Meals" for supper.

Eating s'mores.

Troop 159, "crazy pose".

"A circle's round, but has no end, that's how long I'm going to be your friend."

My "sub-group" within the troop. Elisabeth, Brady, Austen & Ciera (and me).

The "sub-group" Josie is in. Aaliyah, Jordyn, Eileen, and Katie (and Josie).

We didn't take any pictures while we were outside--it was super cold. But we did go on two hikes, and on one of those, some of us even got to see a WHITE SQUIRREL!!! It was the neatest thing ever--he had brown hands and feet, face and tail, but his body was completely white! Bizarre! Anyway, Camp Catron was really beautiful and fun, and we'll be sure to go back again soon!