Monday, September 21, 2009
Dear Heloise: My husband and I saw boxes in front of a house with a sign that said, “Free, must take all boxes.” They were full of toys and children’s clothes. We take items to our church for needy families, so we took these, meaning to pass them on.
Later, our daughter and I finally sat down to sort and clean the contents. We found two cell phones. One was obviously broken, but the other was in good condition. Thinking this was a great thing to pass on, we charged it, then installed a new SIM card and some prepaid minutes. I checked all the settings, and it was a good thing I did! I found a labeled file, and when opened, I saw a teenage girl in her underwear and found phone numbers with the same name as the photos. I deleted all of this.
This is a warning to girls and guys who take their pictures: Make sure that cell phones have memories erased before discarding them. This girl was lucky I was not the type of person who would pursue her! The next one may be. A Friend in Spring, Texas
Yikes! It is lucky that you, an honest person (and a mother with a daughter), found the phone and not somebody else. Privacy issues are serious. Protect yourself, your family and your reputation. Heloise
P.S.: Parents, you may be shocked what’s on your child’s cell phone!
Fast Facts
Dear Heloise: I use baskets for decoration and storage:
•Office — to hold pens, stapler, office supplies, craft supplies, etc.
•Bathroom — to hold washcloths and hand towels.
•Laundry room — as a flat-backed hanging basket for lint storage.
•Other rooms — to store magazines, shoe polishes, sewing supplies, etc.
Jean F., Three Forks, Mont.
Dear Heloise: A simple way to make square hamburger patties: Place a serving of hamburger in the center of a sheet of wax paper. With the point of a knife, trace a square shape on the wax paper around the hamburger about the size of the patty you want. Be sure to allow for shrinkage from cooking.
Next, fold the wax paper along the score lines of the square, wrapping the hamburger as if it were a gift box. Turn the “package” over so the folds are down and gently push the hamburger to the edges of the wax paper wrapping. Turn back over, unwrap and voil ° — you have a perfect square patty. Kent M., via e-mail
Sound Off
Dear Heloise: I get a lot of catalogs in the mail, and I enjoy shopping from them. My problem is that the return envelopes they include have only a small part to bend over and seal. There is hardly any glue on the flap, so I have to use transparent tape, which does the trick. It’s annoying because all they have to do is make the envelopes larger. Louise B., Freeland, Pa.
SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate