Welcome to the March edition of the HAL-PC monthly member eBulletin. If you wish to stop receiving these bulletins, send an email to e-bulletin-off@hal-pc.org. This month: Protect Your PC, Events, SIG News, New Classes, Class Listing, Board of Directors Election, March Volunteer of the Month, New Member Services Coordinator, March Magazine.

PROTECT YOUR PC

SECURITY NOW! PODCAST
Some of you who frequent the HAL-PC home page may have noticed that we have been publishing links to the Security Now! podcast. Every week, Steve Gibson and Leo LaPorte discuss issues of interest to all computer users. You can listen online on your computer, or subscribe to and download the podcast through the website or iTunes. Topics vary from the very timely (remember the Sony Rootkit Scandal or the Windows Metafile Exploit a couple of months back?) to long-standing concerns (developing a secure personal password policy, securing your wireless internet access point) and even general education (how the internet works!). Gibson and LaPorte take the time to cover the issues in depth, in a way that even casual users can understand and appreciate. Look for the current podcast link on the home page (new podcasts are released on Fridays) and see the user support section for an archive of past podcasts. Make SecurityNow! a part of your weekly routine.

HAL-PC OFFERS BOOMERANG CARDS
HAL-PC is offering a service to help your computer recover from the harmful effects of viruses and worms. You can also try new programs and revert completly to your previous configuration if they don't work out! The Boomerang card takes a 'snapshot' of your data, monitors changes made to your hard drive and eliminates unwanted changes with just a reboot. You can purchase the card from HAL, and our upgrade SIG will clean your computer of viruses, worms and spyware and install the card, all for one low price. See the Boomerang page for detailed information and look for a review of the card in the December HAL-PC Magazine.

HAL-PC VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION LUNCHEON

Saturday, March 4, 1:00 - 3:00 pm
All HAL-PC Volunteers are invited to join us on Saturday, March 4 from 1:00 - 3:00 pm for the annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. We'll have a real Mardi Gras feast, games, prizes and more. We'll also be honoring the 2005 HAL-PC Volunteer of the Year! RSVP ASAP to Ashley at 713-341-8102, or arevilla@hal-pc.org

CALLING ALL PAST AND PRESENT HAL-PC VOLUNTEERS

HAL-PC wants to keep up with you! If you are a past Volunteer of the Month, or of the Year, please send your current address, phone number, and email address to carla@hal-pc.org. And remember, HAL-PC never gives out this information or uses it for any type of solicitation purposes. Many thanks.

SPECIAL EVENTS IN MARCH

Saturday, March 4 -- 1:00 - 3:00 pm: Robert DuVernay presents CD Burning for Everyone

Thursday, March 9 -- 7:00 - 9:00 pm: Marie & Bear Jones present H&R Block Tax Cut Software Overview

Wednesday, March 29 -- 7:00 - 9:00 pm: A vendor representative will present Linspire, a complete desktop Linux operating system focused on the needs of everyday consumers.

NEW HAL-PC SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

HAL-PC welcomes back a Special Interest Group that has been on hiatus. Every Monday at 7:00 pm, join the Understanding Threats to Your Computer and Home SIG as they discuss strategies to defeat Mal-ware of all sorts including viruses, worms, trojans, spyware, spam and ads.

NEW CLASSES

Look for exciting new classes this month! Marie Jones will help take the anxiety out of tax preparation with a class on H&R Block's Tax Cut Deluxe 2005, and Ashley Revilla will present Internet 101. See the class listings below for times.

March Classes - HAL-PC Headquarters

BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION

The annual election of HAL-PC's Board of Directors will be held in June. Any member interested in volunteering his or her time and talents to managing the affairs of HAL-PC should declare their intent to run as a Director by sending an e-mail message to election@hal-pc.org expressing said intent not later than 5 PM CDT, April 30, 2006. Online voting will be held from June 1 - 3:00 pm June 17. On-site voting at HAL-PC Headquarters will be on June 17 from 1:00 - 3:00 pm. Full details of the electoral process are available on the HAL website.

MARCH VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH

HAL-PC Volunteer Jim Foote, member since 1987, is our March 2006 Volunteer of the Month. Jim personifies decication, committment and support by giving of his time and expertise every week as tech support and monthly as the leader of New Member Orientation. Thank you, Jim, for all you do!

NEW MEMBER SERVICES COORDINATOR

HAL-PC welcomes its new Member Services Coordinator, Ashley Revilla. Ashley is a native Houstonian. She has studied Fashion Marketing at University of Houston. She spends her spare time with her family and admits to doing more than just a little shopping. Ashley will be manning the desk at the office window and may be reached at 713-341-8102

THIS MONTH'S MAGAZINE

Look for your quarterly printed edition of the HAL-PC magazine the first week of March. If you have not received your magazine by March 8, please go to the Online Account Information interface, enter your username and password and check your address information. If it is incorrect, you can correct it online. Then please contact the office so that we can mail you a copy of the March magazine.