Friday! A catch-all blog with an eye on the weekend! 

Almost Friday! Phishers are nasty phreaks who should be phlogged

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This close…I came THIS close…to handing over all my pertinent information, including my social and a credit card to a bogus scam posing as Netflix.

I’m pretty darn savvy about these phishing scams, but this one played to the truth, which is what sucked me in. The credit card that I have on file with Netflix is about to expire, so this email struck me as real.

(I removed all the links, including the one I clicked on. )

[!!] Your account is on hold.
Update your account to get back to watching
Hi,
We’re having some trouble with your current billing information. We’ll try again, but in the meantime you may want to update your payment details.
UPDATE ACCOUNT NOW
Need help? We are here if you need it. Visit the Help Center or contact us now.
Your friends at Netflix
2/14/2018 5:08:49 PM
Questions? Visit the Help Center
This account email has been sent to you as part of your Netflix membership. To change your email preferences at any time, please visit the Communication Settings page for your account.
Please do not reply to this email, as we are unable to respond from this email address. If you need help or would like to contact us, please visit our Help Center at help.netflix.com.
This message was mailed to [xxxx@xx.net] by Netflix.
SRC: SXiC1xXAlQK63PBT8y1c10MW9dm4My4MeX
Use of the Netflix service and website is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Statement.

What do you do if you get one these?

Forward it to: phishing@netflix.com (This is a real link to the real Netflix.)

I can’t tell you how violated, embarrassed and angry this made me feel.

Be careful, my friends. The phrauds are out there, waiting to suck you in.

Deb

Finally, Friday! Confessions of a cruise virgin

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Good Friday morning!

In two weeks, I’m going on my first cruise. A beginner cruise: four days, two stops, Baja. No problema, right?

OMG! I can hear the vast majority of you inhaling a shocked gasp. Everyone’s been on a cruise, right? Well, not me.

Here’s my list of excuses….ahem…sound and valid reasons for not going on a cruise.

1. I’m a reclusive artist type. Sharing a confined space–the ship is 856′ long– with 3, 450 other passengers doesn’t exactly call to me.

2. I’m a bit of a health nut. And, recently, I saw an allergist who tested me for food allergies. Guess what? I’m supposed to avoid: wheat, rice, goat milk, onions, honeydew melon and…wait for it…coffee. What do most people do on cruises? I’m told they eat and drink. Fact: most alcohol–including my fave: beer– is made from grains, such as wheat. Humph!

3. Germs! The flu is big news. I’m one of the few who’s doctor advised not to get a flu shot. The ship could be a giant petri floating dish. I’m already stocking up on hand sanitizer.

4. I love routine. I function best with routine. Sleep and exercise are my friends. I have a feeling my friends are going to stay home this time. 🙁

So…you’re asking yourself, why on earth has Deb signed up and paid good money for this cruise? Two reasons: snow and cold.

It’s neither of those things where I live. Here’s what my weather looks like right now.

But this isn’t about me. My brother-in-law, Don, lives and works in Sioux Falls, SD. A beautiful city…in summer. Here’s what his winter has been like: cold, snow, wind and more cold.

So, I’m going on a cruise for Don. For my family. And because it’s time to try something new. Plus, the first stop is Catalina, where I’m setting at least part of my next book. I also have a whole bunch of great books loaded on my eReader and I can drink “potato” vodka. 😉

Any cruising TIPS you’d like to share with a virgin sailor?

😉 Deb

PS: Valentine’s Day is next week, and I have a special release price on my new novella, Love, After All. (Click on image for the buy link of your choice.) Or: Books2Read.

 

Finally, Friday! A catch-all blog with an eye on the weekend!

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Good Friday morning!

Something new today. I’ve been blogging on Fridays at a group blog called Storybroads for a couple of years, but the blog is undergoing some changes and I’m not sure how things will pan out, so today I’m testing something new. I’m calling it:

Finally, Friday! A catch-all blog with an eye on the weekend!

I hope it will be mostly fun, often frivolous, sometimes serious and somewhat meaningful.

Today, I need to tell you something IMPORTANT.

We’ve all seen the headlines, watched the award shows, maybe even added a #MeToo hashtag or two to our tweets and Facebook posts. But have you talked to your daughters or granddaughters about what is happening in the world today?

This morning, my ten-year old granddaughter came to my house for a ride to school. She is the sweetest child I know, with a kind spirit and open heart. She’s also a gymnast.

Coincidentally, a segment about the USAGymnastics sexual abuse scandal and the sentencing of a beast whose name I refuse to type had just ended, so I asked her if she’d heard about what had happened to some of her favorite role models.

She shook her head.

“Well, we should talk about this because a number of girls–including Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman….remember watching them win medals at the Olympics and then you went to San Jose to see them on tour?” She nodded, her full attention on the fate of her heroes. “…they came forward to accuse the team doctor of sexually abusing them.”

“Really?” she asked. “Did they get kicked off the team?”

My heart stopped for a minute and I had to fight back tears. “No, my darling. They didn’t get in trouble. They were very brave and they told the truth. Now, that doctor will spend the rest of his life in jail.”

“A doctor? Really?”

I explained to her how a person in power could make you think you wouldn’t be believed if you tried to tell someone what he or she did to you–even if you knew what they did was wrong or made you feel uncomfortable or bad. “It’s your right–even your responsibility–to tell someone so that person doesn’t do the same thing to other girls.”

What I didn’t tell her is how long it took for the world to hear what many of this monster’s victims had reported over the years.  Here’s an interesting article on the subject. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/25/us/the-metoo-moment-for-us-gymnasts-olympics-nassar-justice.html

I particularly like this line from that article:

In the courtroom in Michigan, the assistant attorney general, Angela Povilaitis, said: “We teach our girls and daughters to be too nice. To just ignore and put up with uncomfortable situations, to stay silent when they should be allowed to be heard.”

The women of gymnastics are no longer staying silent.

Don’t we owe it to the next generation of girls to teach them to speak up and never let the manipulators come between you and what you know is right?

What do you think? I’d love hear from you.

On a lighter note, my READ4LESS newsletter is going out tomorrow with some FABULOUS free or 99¢ bargain books from some amazing authors. (I’m also including links to my newly published Black Hills Rendezvous Boxed Sets Volumes 2 and 3.) Separately, you’d pay $11.97, so at $8.99, you’re saving 25% off the retail price.

Have a fabulous weekend, my friends. I’m always open to blog ideas. Feel free to email me.

Deb