Lacy Afghan - 2009 Christmas Special

JMark Afghans, etc. is offering - for a limited time - our favorite Lacy Afghan at amazing prices!

This offer is available only to readers of "Random Musings of a Curious Mind" who order before December 10th.

(To ensure that your order is completed in plenty of time for Christmas, we are offering only 3 sizes and a limited number of yarn colors.)

Ordering couldn't be easier! Simply pick a size, a yarn color, and click {Buy}. For your convenience, we offer PayPal or Google Checkout to complete your order. (No personal information is required, until you place your order through our secure options.)

As always, if you have any questions or problems - Contact Jules - for more information.

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

I'm Thankful For ...

... making it through another Thanksgiving orgy of food. Truly, I don't know why we go to so much trouble every year. By the time everything is cooked and set out, the cook (in our case, cooks) are too worn out to enjoy it.

We were up until after 4:00am Thursday morning, baking pumpkin pies, cheesecakes, and cookies. Then, back up at 9:30am to get the bird ready. I'm not sure I actually had any sleep. (I know Mark didn't.) And, sadly, we managed to enjoy one of our newer Turkey-day traditions, again this year ...

Our lovely, beautiful, sat-in-the-fridge-for-a-week bird was still half frozen!

I try to tell myself that, with a refrigerator that freezes the pickles on the back of the shelf, we know our food isn't going to go bad overnight. But, it's really tough to remember that, when you're trying to get dinner in the oven. Too bad you can't fit a turkey in the FlavorWave - that thing'll cook anything from frozen-to-table in record time.

Oh, well. We had our family together. The food was good, if several hours later than we'd planned. And no one had the flu.

All in all, it was a day to be thankful.

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Update Your Office

It's been five months, give or take, since we moved into the new apartment. With something akin to desperation, we managed to arrange and organize our piles of stuff and mounds of furniture into a functional system. There would be no more stubbed toes and banged shins. Then, Frankie moved back in.

Don't get me wrong - it is absolutely wonderful having him home. But, our interior design plan didn't leave a lot of room for more stuff. (It takes an act of Congress to get into my dresser these days.) The monster of a computer desk, which we have banged into and stumbled over for years, (the one that I keep threatening to replace) is eating up space that we could really use for other things. Like it or not, I really think it's time to rethink our office furniture set-up.

Frankly, we would do better with a much (much) smaller desk and a 4-drawer filing cabinet. Maybe, a desk with a 2-drawer filing cabinet on each side. Then, we could shift everything else we own around and make room in my closet! Hey, I like that idea!

Just one - not so small - problem: Everything I like is bigger that what we have now! Oh, boy. Back to the drawing board - oooh, I need one of those, too!

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Santa!? Please Fix My Truck!

Well, there are only 33 days until Christmas. Therefore, I do believe that it's time to start my list for Santa. Don't want to miss the please-send-me-this deadline since, after all, I have been very good this year. No really - I have!

Everyone knows that Santa is extremely busy, so there's nothing wrong with cutting out pictures or bookmarking websites - just to help out, you know. For example, there are specific Mopar parts involved in repairing a Dodge truck. Can't just slap any old head gasket onto a Dakota Sport (from 1995, 2.5L engine, standard 5-speed transmission), and expect a Christmas miracle. Well, one can hope, but how practical is that?

No, it's important to get the specifics just right when sending a request to Santa. And if, by chance, there are a couple of elves with mechanical expertise who would like to spend a little time with us - we wouldn't complain. In fact, we'd be willing to pay handsomely - with all the hot chocolate and sugar cookies they can hold!

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Employee Background Checks

Being a one-person operation has its drawbacks. I have no one to blame if something goes wrong, for example; except myself. And, if I'm feeling particularly lazy, I have no one to whom I can pass the workload.

At the same time, I don't have to worry about pre-employment screening, background checks, employee theft, or dealing with someone who refuses to do the work for which they were hired. After 20-plus years in corporate America, I have seen some amazing (and I don't mean that in a good way) employee behavior. Ranging from TVs on their desk and sleeping on the job, to coming to work higher than a space shuttle in orbit, to disappearing for hours a day at the local movie theater - nothing is surprising to me anymore. Under the right conditions (or wrong conditions) everyone is capable of making poor choices. Everyone.

Having spent time on both sides of the interview table, I can see the necessity for independent evaluation of potential employees. Everyone I interviewed seemed fine to me. Great people; lots of energy. Would love to work with them. But, very few were actually as 'terrific' as they seemed. In the end, skills and personality were almost always at odds.

And, truthfully, how many people are completely honest about their histories? I know that - naturally - I'm going to put the best face on everything I tell a potential employer. Short of out-and-out lying, which I never would do, it's in my best interest to present myself as the best possible employee for any company at which I want to work.

Would a search of my background agree with what I say? Probably. What about the next person sitting in that interview chair? Don't guess; make sure.

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Insurance For Your Business

Well, here is something I didn't think about. Probably because I have no employees, no actual store-front, no company cars, and don't need to be bonded. But business insurance is a critical purchase decision for anyone whose enterprise is more than one person.

There are so many types of coverage that have to be considered, it boggles my mind. At the very least, General Liability coverage is a must-have. This will protect against most of the basic risks of having a brick-and-mortar store. It doesn't cover transportation of goods or people, but it will offer protection if someone slips and falls walking into the store.

Or if they're beaned by falling inventory, climbing up the display racks to get to the last 'color-me-silly' doll on the top shelf. (Hey, people do crazy things in the name of shopping and saving money.)

Whatever the type of business, it's foolish to operate it in these litigious times without adequate protection.

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Fitness Equipment

As many of you know, I have been window-shopping for fitness equipment for some time now. It's not been an easy process. I have to, first, find something that I'll actually use. Second, if it doesn't fit in the little spare room that we have, what's the point? Finally, it has to be something that we can afford.

Being less than enthusiastic about doing anything that makes me sweat, finding an appropriate piece of equipment is never easy. Then add in two bad knees and it gets really challenging. On top of all that, I really don't want to give up my recliner or - worse yet - my bed to fit in a machine that I may or may not use several times a week. Anything that costs in the neighborhood of a month's rent and doesn't come with a kitchen and bathroom, is just not even realistic.

Much to my surprise, there are places that sell used equipment. You know, the treadmill that's been used as a clothes rack for the last 3 years until the spouse says, "Get it out of here! Now!" The variety was better than I expected, and so are the prices.

Now, I have to get serious about this. Darn it!

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Identity Theft Advice

I recently received the following advice in an email. Not all of the advice is 100% valid, so I have added some caveats or suggestions, where applicable:

1. The next time you order checks have only your initials (instead of first name) and last name put on them. If someone takes your checkbook, they will not know if you sign your checks with just your initials or your first name, but your bank will know how you sign your checks.
   • (This was actually listed on the Illinois Legal Aid website.) Bank employees are highly unlikely, given the volume they process, to verify checks against a signature card. And, many businesses may require that the information on your checks matches the information on your ID.
2. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED".
   • I like this one. Although, I haven't had anyone check the back of a card - or ask me for ID - in a very, very long time. (Perhaps retailers need to reeducate their employees?)
3. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For" line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it.
   • Better to leave this line blank and simply remember to include the payment slip from your statement. (Anyone processing your payment at the bank or credit card company, already has access to your account information anyway - truth be told.)
4. Put your work phone number on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address.
   • Is there, truly, a need to have a phone number printed on your checks? (Not to mention, what if you change jobs?) I haven't written a check in many years, but I don't recall being required to provide that information.
   • As far as addresses versus PO Boxes: If I recall correctly, there used to be issues with POBs on checks. Then, there's the issue of check information matching your ID. And using a work address takes us back to - What if you change jobs?
5. Never have your Social Security number printed on your checks. You can add it, if it is necessary. But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.
   • Again - why would anyone ever provide this information on every check they write? Leave it off.
6. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopies safe.
   • Admittedly, this isn't a bad idea. Though you can get the numbers from your credit card statements and the local DMV is in the phonebook. Social Security cards can be replaced online.

If your wallet is stolen:

1. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.
2. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).
3. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number.

Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, etc., has been stolen:

1. Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271
   • The actual SSA information, from their website: (The Social Security Administration will issue a new card, but they will not file a report or take any action regarding a stolen card.)
     • File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (1-877-ID-THEFT or 1-877-438-4338);
     • File an online complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at http://www.ic3.gov;
     • Check your Social Security records (call toll-free 1-800-772-1213; TTY 1-800-325-0778) to ensure your income is calculated correctly; and
     • Monitor your credit reports.
2. Equifax: P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 1-800-685-1111
   • Report Fraud:
     * Phone number: (800) 525-6285
     * Mail: Equifax Fraud Division, P.O. Box 740250, Atlanta, GA 30374
3. Experian (formerly TRW): P.O. Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013 1-888-397-3742
   • Report Fraud:
     * Phone number: (888) 397-3742
     * Mail: Experian National Consumer Assistance Center, P.O. Box 9530, Allen, TX 75013
4. TransUnion: P.O. Box 1000 2000, Chester, PA 19022 1-800-888-4213
   • Report Fraud or Identity Theft:
     * Online
     * Phone number: (800) 680-7289
     * Mail: TransUnion Fraud Victim Assistance Department, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Social Security Disability Help

Like it or not, the government isn't going to make it easy to collect disability benefits. In a way, this is good. It keeps people who just don't want to work off the SSDI roles. But, for those who are actually disabled, the battle is like, as they say, adding insult to injury.

We went through the evaluation and determination process rather blindly. Whatever we were told needed to be done, we did. It wasn't that we necessarily understood what was going on, we simply had no other options. In order to help Mark, we had to follow instructions and put our faith in the professionals who were evaluating his condition.

These days, there are companies who help with the social security disability process. They understand the requirements and, most importantly, keep applicants from making critical mistakes. With the current backlog and the average waiting period running over two years, going it alone can be risky.


Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

The Importance of Security in Difficult Times

One recurring theme these days, on TV and on the Internet, is the need for security. In tough economic times, it's not surprising to hear that crime is on the rise. Crime against businesses and crime against individuals now make the news several times a day. (I know that we've heard the police helicopter, searching the neighborhood, a lot more in the last few months.)

One benefit of living where we do is the cctv security system. A few years ago, when Mark's daughter and son-in-law were visiting, someone ran into their car in the parking lot. Happily, it took no time at all to get the make, model, and license number of the vehicle that sideswiped the new SUV. Sadly, it was one of our neighbors who, as we saw in the tape, hit the car - not once, but twice.

These days, our complex is also gated. People attempt to climb over the gates on a regular basis and are caught on the security cameras, on a regular basis. Personally, we don't wait for the cameras to catch these trespassers. After all, once they're over the gate, we aren't that many steps away.

In addition to wooden blocks in the windows, for the last several months, we've kept a chair shoved under the front door. We know that it won't stop a determined intruder. It will slow them down and, hopefully, encourage them to bother someone else.

Our neighborhood is not the best. And - honestly? - our neighbors are not the most law-abiding. With a little attention to security, we do sleep pretty well at night.

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Life Insurance

We don't, currently, have life insurance. It's not that we're irresponsible or, at least, not overly irresponsible. Our situation - 2 smokers, 1 with serious health issues - does not lend itself to affordable premiums.

Knowing that we need some kind of protection - we're not getting any younger or any healthier - I look at life insurance quotes every few months. By my way of thinking, a large portion of our society is aging and developing long-term health issues. It is in the best interest of insurance companies to change how they view coverage and, most importantly, who qualifies for that coverage.

Apparently, I'm not completely alone in that thinking. One of the sites I review periodically mentions High Risk Life Insurance and Smokers Life Insurance. Of course, these are types of Term Life policies. Not my first choice.

By definition, Term Life offers coverage at a fixed rate for a specific Term. So, what you're doing, when you buy a Term Life policy, is guessing how long you will live. If, as Mark is doing, you outlive that expectancy, your policy expires.

Then, you either have no coverage or you buy another policy. But, now you're older and your health may be worse than it was when you bought the original policy. Translation? Not a good situation.

I've, personally, always preferred Whole Life. It's a policy for your Whole Life and, in most cases, builds a cash value over the life of the policy. If worse comes to worse, as they say, it's possible to cash-in the policy at a future date. (Not wise, but sometimes necessary.)

Naturally, Whole Life is not inexpensive. So, there you go! The insurance dilemma that us old folks face.

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Fat Burners

There is no lack of best fat burner offers on the market. Sadly, as the media focuses on national obesity and the urgent need to encourage weight loss, more and more products appear with claims that aren't closely reviewed or monitored. At best, many products are simply ineffective. At worst, the ingredients or the combination thereof may be dangerous.

One of the basic functions of many fat burner / weight loss products is thermogenesis - thermo: heat, genesis: generate or create. Simply put, thermogenesis is the natural bodily process whereby the body generates heat and burns calories. Stimulating this process, in theory, would increase metabolism and burn more calories. Sounds good, right?

Now, imagine that the latest and greatest fat burning product has several ingredients that work to increase the body's metabolism. The promise is that heightened calorie burning equals heightened weight loss. Quite possibly true. But, the (unmentioned) other half of the thermogenesis equation is production or generation of heat.

This means that combining a number of ingredients that are designed to stimulate metabolism can also increase the generation of body heat or raise internal body temperature. If you spend time out in the sun, or participate in strenuous sports or exercise programs, this elevated internal temperature could seriously reduce the time it takes to succomb to heatstroke. A potentially deadly situation.

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

P&G Coupon Savings

One great way to save money at the store is by using coupons. Personally, I hate clipping coupons and, inevitably, most of them expire long before I remember to use them. If you're like me, I have a solution! (Okay, Proctor & Gamble has a solution.)

P&G Everyday Solutions takes coupon savings to a whole new level. Simply add your shopper discount card (Safeway's "Club Card", Fry's "Shoppers Card", etc.) information to your profile, select the coupons for your favorite products, and upload them to your card. That's it! You're ready to shop.

Load up your shopping cart with all the goodies you need and never worry about coupons again. When you swipe your shopper discount card at checkout, your savings is automatically deducted from the total and prints out on your receipt. If that weren't enough, P&G Everyday Solutions will even send you an email, with links to the latest and greatest savings available.

What could be easier?

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Plasma TVs

If you've ever coveted or even just shopped for plasma TVs, you have probably experienced the same sticker shock that Mark and I went through. Well, no more.

As is true of all technology, if you wait long enough, the prices do eventually come down. Of course, it takes some shopping time to find the best deals, but they are out there and they are worth hunting down. I know that I would never have imagined getting a 42-inch plasma HDTV for under $1,000.00.

Even better, the technology tends to improve over time. Apparently, there were resolution problems in the early plasmas that have been improved in newer models. Things like shadow images and odd skintones made playing games and simple movie-watching less than enjoyable. Makes me glad we didn't jump on the plasma TV bandwagon at the beginning.

Now, we can get a much better viewing experience for much less.

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Mopar Parts

One of the most difficult aspects of a fixed income is the pesky, unforeseen expense that throws a carefully balanced budget out the window. Shortly after Mark's lung cancer surgery, our blessed, beloved truck got sick. We took her, sadly, to a 'doctor' who lied about what was wrong and took our money for unnecessary work, leaving her still in need and us unaware.

It didn't take long before she breathed her last. At that point, the mechanic who cheated us told us what, truly, had been wrong; information withheld at a time when it might have been possible to effect repairs. A situation that has earned the individual, and the business in question, our undying enmity. We, in a word, are without personal transportation and may well be for a very long time.

Mark has explained (repeatedly) what needs to be done. Although I don't retain all of the details, I have a general idea. Not knowing what else to do, I went on an Internet search to, if possible, determine what could be done. Even at a serious discount, I discovered that the parts, Mopar performance parts, alone are incredibly expensive. Then, of course, we have the labor which, on an hourly basis, rivals the rate of any Wall Street CEO.

If Mark were healthy, it would be less of an issue, because the man can repair anything. If Mark were healthy and we had a garage in which to work, it would be virtually no issue at all. But neither of those things are true.

The one, overwhelming truth is: we have no transportation and very little chance of correcting that situation.

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Comodo Internet Security Pro

JMark Afghans, etc. is proud to announce that we are now affiliated with:

In this day of worms, trojans, viruses, and the armies of morons who troll the Internet looking to cause trouble and damage, it's not just important to have protection. It is critical. Trust me on that one.

Starting with a solid, reliable firewall, Comodo protection adds anti-virus and wi-fi coverage to the package. Top that with live, expert support and you've got security that will help you surf happy and sleep peacefully.

Don't risk your data, your personal information, or the computer on which you depend. Take a look at Comodo. You'll be amazed!

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Will Your Kid Get That Degree?

I stumbled across an interesting news story today. It discusses which high school students are most likely to graduate from college, based on a 10-year study of over 200,000 freshman.

The news, published in "Crossing the Finish Line," points to demographic factors - rather than hard work, good grades, and intelligence - as the strongest indicator of success or failure in post-high school endeavors. Gender, race, and parental education carry more weight than student effort or brains. If true, a rather sad situation.

In a nutshell, kids whose parents didn't go to or finish college, who come from a disadvantaged background, regardless of how hard they study or how brilliant they are, are much less likely to make it through four years of college.

Obviously, there will always be exceptions - thank, heaven! But, as one of those statistics, it's very disheartening to know that not much has changed in the 35 years since I went to - and didn't graduate from - college.

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Equipment for Team Sports

It comes as no surprise that one can find webpages with just about everything imaginable. (Some days it comes as a shock, but that's a whole 'nother post.) And, being an Internet shopping junkie, I know that it's not difficult to find all kinds of sports equipment online. I didn't know, however, that there was a site that taught about the sport, while it helped you find what you need to play the sport.

I wasn't looking for equipment and still spent hours reading about sports I'll never play or played very badly in the past. Did you know only batsmen and wicketkeepers get to wear pads and gloves? Cricket fielders have to run all over the field, trying to catch those hard balls with bare hands. Strike that one off my just-gotta-learn-to-do-this list!

To look at me, you probably wouldn't imagine my hands wrapped around a bat, squinting against the bright sun, and waiting for that perfect pitch. When I was younger, I loved softball. In fact, my favorite Fourth of July involved uncles and cousins and an impromptu game in the schoolyard behind our house. It didn't matter that I was a skinny little girl, not much bigger than the bat, -- I got a hit (off, what I'm sure was a generous pitch) and carried the memory of that small victory for years.

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Spoofing Emails ... Again! and Again!

Like most people I know, I love getting mail. No longer! I now hate - with a passion - looking in my inbox.

Thanks to these spammers/ spoofers/ friggin' jerks, I wake up every day to at least 200 new delivery failure notifications. And, despite reporting the IP address, they just keep creating new websites, with dozens of subdomains - all pretending to be JMark Afghans. In the words of Queen Victoria: "We are NOT amused!"

If I weren't so busy trying to quantify and report all of this, I think I'd just sit down and cry. Or perhaps screaming would be more effective.

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Spoofing Emails ... Again!

Once again, JMark Afghans, etc. has been spoofed! If you don't know what that means, in a nutshell - someone (in this case, many someones) sent spam/junk email out with a fake jmarkafghans.com email address as the sender and/or reply-to. It appears that the message came from JMark Afghans, etc., when in fact it didn't. To give you an idea of how busy these little )*@&$% miscreants were this weekend:

As of 10:00am today, we have received more than 750 - yup seven-hundred-fifty - delivery-failure notices for emails that we did not send. Apparently, there is a lovely new scam being perpetrated at IP address 119.67.72.151. Heaven only knows how many emails made it through, since many of the failure notices we received contained more than one addressee!

All of the websites to which these messages send recipients are exactly the same. Diamond Replicas is the title on the three that I was able to trace back. The IP address hosts over 70 domains, so I guess we were lucky to only get hit by 3 of them.

According to what I read, when you access the checkout / shopping cart, you are giving all of your credit card and identifying information out over an unsecure connection. You can imagine the damage they can and will do, once they get that information.

I reported everything I could and, hopefully, the IP and related sites will get taken down soon. In the meantime ...

• If you didn't subscribe to our mailing list and/or newsletter, you will never receive email from JMark Afghans, etc.
• If you did subscribe to our mailing list and/or newsletter, but didn't respond to the opt-in email message, you will never receive email from JMark Afghans, etc.
• If you ever receive a plain-text message from an individual at JMark Afghans, etc., it wasn't us!

We never, ever send plain-text messages and never have. There are absolutely no, none, zip, nada, zilch individual email addresses associated with our business. There never have been and, because of this sort of fraudulent behavior by no-goodniks, there never will be.

With that said, should you ever receive any unsolicited email claiming to be from JMark Afghans, etc., please forward it immediately to me. My email address is at the bottom of every page of the website.

Be sure to stop by JMark Afghans
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules