E-Zine April May's Hot Tips

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Miss April May's HOT Tips

Your Keys to Safety Have you mistakenly pressed the panic button on your car keys? Wow! What a racket! With that in mind, read this tip that came via e-mail from a neighborhood watch coordinator who advises that you keep your car keys beside your bed at night. If someone trys to enter your house, you can set off a real alarm by pressing the panic button to start your car alarm — and off goes the horn! It's a security alarm system thats already in place, and it requires no installation. Try it. It will go off from most anywhere in the house. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there.

Powder from dryer sheets can leave your dryer too dry and too hot Yes, those little dryer sheets help your stuff come out feeling fluffy and soft. And sweet-scented, if you like sweet-scented. But if you like 'em and use 'em, you'll need to wash the dryer filter regularly, say repairmen. Why? Take out the filter and run a gentle stream of wasm water through it and see what happens. Chances are there's an almost invisible chemical; film clogging the mesh, and the water will puddle and run off the edges of the screen.
Over time, the chemical powder in the dryer sheets can coat the metal of the grid, impeding not only the lint it's designed to catch, but even the passage of heated air that dries your laundry. When that happens, the mesh (and the dryer) can overheat and burn out the heating unit. And possibly even cause a household fire.
Solution: wash the mesh filter with warm soapy water & a nylon brush for about 30 seconds. Then rinse. Watch the water run right thru the screen! Such a simple answer that you might try it on your dryer even if you don't use dryer sheets. Most screens could use a good cleaning anyway!

Ticked off! Fleck the dirt off my calf, and -- ewwwwh! It's a TICK! What do I do? Light a match and burn it off?
      Negative-negative — bad news. Removing ticks quickly as possible is important to preventing Lyme disease or some other infection, but burning a tick that's fastened into your skin can be your worst-choice move. Experts say that burning it, or using too much force can make the creature regurgitate, whch increases the likelihood of infection.
      Over the past decade, Spanish researchers kept records on 52 patients who were treated at a hospital after extracting ticks by various methods. Smothering the insect by painting it with Vaseline or nail polish is a bad idea, because the more quickly it is removed, the less the chance of infection. And those who squeezed, crushed, or burned the critters were far more likely to develop Lyme disease or other complications than were those who simply grasped the insect with tweezers and pulled.
       So use the tweezer method. Grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and gently pull it straight up. Then fish out any remaining insect-bits and clean the site with a disinfectant. Some doctors also recommend taking antibiotics to ward off infection.

How long will it keep in the freezer? The US Department of Agriculture says that frozen roast beef or steak will keep 6-12 months if kept at a properly low temperature -— which is Zero degrees Fahrenheit. Ground beef will keep 3-4 months, and cooked meats 2-3 months. Frozen poultry keeps for 6 to 9 months. Frozen fruit stays wholesome up to 12 months, and veggies keep 8-12 months. So date your freezer packages — with an expiration date if you can remember these numbers. (Sure you can!)

Fog begone! Does the world sometimes get to looking foggy while you drive? Here's a cure: Use the fresh air setting to reduce humidity that has built up in the car. Or turn on the car air conditioner for a minute or two, so the air compressor can help to dry out the interior air.

Leaking electricity Have your appliances sprung a leak? Were they leaky from the start? "Popular Science" magazine tells us that clock radios, cordless phones, answering machines, garage door openers, microwave ovens, VCRs, electric ovens and security devices (to name a few) regularly leak current all the time. It amounts only to pennies, they say, but why waste 'em? Ever time, even pennies mount up. So unplug electric appliances, when that's practical, and when you buy, pick your most energy-efficient choice.

Traveling with portfolio On vacation? Break your glasses? Lose your pills? Pack a photocopy of crucial prescriptions, and set your mind at ease.

Sock the painter? Pull a pair of old socks on over your shoes when you paint, and walk away clean. (Those same socks will prove useful for wiping up that one little smear that always gets away.)

Here's a flock of grain-of-salt tips that came to us by e-mail from various manufacurers. They sound like commercials, but they might work like gangbusters. However . . . we have not tried them all. (And we don't get a rake-off from the companies for running the info — in case you're wondering.)

Pam cooking spray will dry finger nailpolish.
Cool whip will condition your hair in 15min.
Elmer's Glue---paint on your face, allow it to dry, peel off and see dry, dead skin vanish away.
Shiny Hair-use brewed Lipton Tea.
Sunburn - empty a large jar of Nestea into your bath water.
Minor burn-Colgate or Crest toothpaste.
Arthritis? Kay's father-in-law says to use WD-40 Spray and rub in, kill insect stings too.
Bee stings - try meat tenderizer
Chigger bite - try Nail polish. Paint the bite with colorless polish and leave on until it wears off. Suffocates the little creature that is burrowing into your skin. Cruel? Maybe, but it's your body! (This one really works. I know. I've tried it!)
Paper cut - crazy glue or chap stick (glue is used instead of sutures at many hospitals).
Stinky feet - Jello!! (Egads, wonder what flavor??)
Athletes feet -cornstarch (Baby powder is mostly cornstarch, by the way.)
Fungus on toenails or fingernails - Vicks vapor rub (Never tried this)
Kool aid to clean dishwasher pipes. Just put in the detergent section and run a cycle, it will also clean toilet. (I've heard this about cola drinks, also. But doesn't the kool-aid leave its own stain?)
Kool Aid can be used as a dye in paint also. Kool aid in plain yogurt as finger paint, your kids will love it and it won't hurt them if they eat it! (But once it dries, I'll bet it's hard to get off!)
Sticking bicycle chain - Pam no-stick cooking spray
Pam will also remove paint, and grease from your hands! Keep a can in your garage.
Peanut butter will remove ink from the face of dolls.
Heavy dandruff - pour on the vinegar!
Body paint - Crisco mixed with food coloring. Heat the Crisco in the microwave, pour into an empty film container and mix with the food color of your choice!
Tie Dye T-shirt - mix a solution of Kool Aid in a container, tie a rubber band around a section of the t-shirt and soak.
Preserving a newspaper clipping - large bottle of club soda and 1/2 cup of milk of magnesia, soak for 20 min. and let dry, will last for many years! (Better yet, get one of those laminate sheets and keep it practically forever!)
A Slinky will hold toast and CD's!
To keep goggles and glasses from fogging, coat with Colgate toothpaste. (Only how do you see through the toothpaste?)
Wine stains, pour on the table salt and watch it absorb into the salt. (I've heard this really does work.)
To remove wax - Take a paper towel and iron it over the wax stain, it will absorb into the towel.
Remove labels off glassware etc. rub with peanut butter!
To remove stubbornbaked-on food: fill the pan with water and add a paper fabric softener and soak it overnight. The manufacturer claims the static from that little towel will attract the baked-on food and cause it to adheare to the paper towel. You might also try one of those foaming tablets that are used to clean dentures!
Crayon on the wall? - give it a good brushing with toothpaste. (Probably works best if the color of the toothpaste matches the color of the wall!)

Don't call me; I'll call you! The backstory: When the "Do Not Call" registry was first introduced, over 16.9 million phone numbers were registered in the first week alone! If you're phone number has not been registered and you'd like to accept the FDA protection, the number to call is 1-888-382-1222.

As advertised, www.FirstGov.gov/, the U.S. Government portal that connects you to services and information from federal, state, and local government websites contains a lot of links: For example, a link called "Get It Done Online" enables you to buy asurplus government car, apply for Social Security get apassport application, or buy a National Parks Pass. You can also apply for benefits,get forms, check on tax refund status, or find answers to government questions by e-mail. (We have not tried that, but they say they will.

Bad advice from unsolicited callers
The phone rings. It's a stranger. Do you give that person your credit card number? Your PIN number? Buy stocks? Dial unknown numbers? NOT! What stranger would call you with such requests? Crooks -- that's who!
An e-mail that's currently making the rounds tells us that people pretending to be AT&T Service technicians, conducting a test on telephone lines, are asking the people they call to touch nine (9), zero (0), the pound sign (#) and then hang up. The e-mail goes on to say that when the writer called the telephone company to check it out, he was told that by pushing 90#, you give the requesting individual full access to your telephone line, which enables them to place long distance calls billed to your home phone number. We did not check, but that could be so.
But why would anybody take advice from a stranger on the phone, anyway?

Ditch the skid and slip the slide.The highway patrol suggests that you should not EVER drive in the rain with your cruise control on. If you should begin to hydroplane (not an impossibility) as soon as your tires lose traction with the road, the acceleration can . . . accelerate, and the next time you touch ground, you could be really flyin'.

But if you are planning on flying . . .You may lower the price of a round trip air fare by as much as two-thirds by making certain your trip includes a Saturday evening stay over, and by purchasing the ticket in advance. To make certain you have a cheap fare, even if you use a travel agent, contact all the airlines that fly where you want to go and find out the lowest fare to your destination.

The maintenance you do today keeps the repair persons away. Periodically clean the screens at both ends of your washing machine's fill-hose and also check the drain hose, so water can flow into and out of the machine efficiently. Check the hoses for wear and replace the belt when it begins to look tired. Your dryer's lint screens should be cleaned after every load, and check the dryer vent regularly. Investigate the drum belt from time to time. (If the drum won't turn when the dryer is running, the belt is broken!)

If you don't hate the scent of those softener sheets that go in the dryer to eliminate static electricity . . .The manufacturer says they will chase ants away when you lay a sheet nearthem. And a sheet will also . . .

Repel mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of softener sheet through abelt loop when outdoors during mosquito season.
Dissolve soap scum from shower doors. Use one of those little sheets as a cleaning cloth.
Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needlethrough a softener sheet before beginning to sew.
Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheetin a pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. Theanti-static agent apparentlyweakens the bond between the food and the pan while the fabric softeningagents softenthe baked-on food. (I'd give it a good scrub afterwards, though. If that stuff will dissolve baked-on food, what will it do to your insides!
Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a softener sheet will magnetically attract all the loose hairs.
Eliminate static electricity from venetian blinds.Wipe the blinds with a softener sheet to prevent dust from resettling.
Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. Aused softener sheet will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.

       Insurance: do you have the right stuff?Homeowners insurance premiums vary from neighborhood to neighborhood and often from house to house. Do you have enough maybe too much? Is the insurance you have exactly what you need? And remember, if you also have a home-based business, you may need entirely different coverage.
       Getting enough:an the limit stated in your policy. If you�ve remodeled or added major improvements, your old policy may no longer be adequate. What�s more, your home has probably appreciated in value in the past few years, so make sure your policy covers guaranteed replacement costs, because most home coverage is written as an HO-3 policy — one that sets a dollar-limit on replacement costs. But do separate out the cost of the land your home stands on; that�s one thing you don�t have to insure.
       Liability: According to a recent report from Consumers Union, most homeowners buy liability coverage for up to $300,000. But if your net worth is higher than that amount, it could be wise to get an "umbrella" policy that covers liability for both your home and car. CU notes that an annual premium of about $200 provides $1 million coverage.
       Complicated? Yes, but you�re protecting your biggest asset: your home.

Gems of info about buying jewelry

       I seem to remember that — Oh, I forgot . . . Why? Brain experts say one reason we forget things is that we simply haven't used them recently; or we haven't organized a structure in our minds to store that information.
        That's not as reassuring as it might be, because memory lapses, once chiefly the worry of the elderly, have emerged as a source of anxiety among folks of all ages in this era of information overload. "There are just so many things on our minds." achieving it are lots of practice and better organization.
        Don't rule out physical causes for memory lapses. Research indicates that memory can be diminished temporarily, or even permanently by stress, nicotine, or even small amounts of alcohol, as well as by physical trauma. For example, young soccer players who take a lot of head shots sometimes report mild memory problems.
        Something you can forget is herbs and "magical" remedies.
Millions of dollars are spent each year on herbs of scientifically dubious value that promise sharper recall. But leading scientists who have studied commercially available herbs that claim to improve memory shake their heads and advise you to save your money.
        Focus on focus, experts say. Memory researcher now know a lot about the brain processes that create and store short-term, episodic and long-term retention, and they say memory can indeed be improved. But real improvement takes lots of practice and better organization.
        Repeat after me: Focus! Misplace your keys? Keep them in the same place every day. Forget names? Use word associations: Knowing someone's name is Baker means less than remembering that someone is a baker. Fearful of forgetting an important date? Tell your brain it is relevant and mentally repeat it, again and again.
        And don't sweat it. Experts agree that forgetting some things is normal. They argue that one reason we function so well as human beings because we do forget things. After all, our brains are limited. If we remembered everything about every aspect of every day, we'd retain such a tremendous store of trivia we'd have trouble sorting it all out and finding the important stuff. So forgetting is as important biologically as memory. And although folks who forget how to spell common words or even when to pick up their children worry that they are losing their memories, they probably aren't.

Know your flagetiquette

Is this your year for international travel? If so, you'll need a passport. To apply for one, if you're over the age of 13 you should go to a courthouse, county or municipal office, or post office that's authorized to accept passport applications. You'll need to complete application form DSP-11 — but don't sign it until an official tells you to do so. You'll need to bring several items with you.

PROOF OF U.S. CITIZENSHIP, such as a previous U.S. passport. If this is your first passport, and you were born in the U.S., bring a certified copy of your birth certificate issued by the state, city, or county of your birth (a certified copy will have a registrar's raised, embossed, impressed, or multicolored seal and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar's office).If you have neither a U.S. passport nor a certified birth certificate issued in the U.S., you can get a notice from the registrar of the state where you were born that indicates no birth record exists, plus as many as possible of the following: a baptismal certificate, hospital birth record, early Census, early school record, or family Bible record. (The documents must include your full name and date and place of birth.) You should also have a notarized affidavit completed by an older blood relative who has personal knowledge of your birth.
IF YOU'RE NOT A CITIZEN: If you were born abroad, bring a Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, Report of Birth Abroad of a U.S. Citizen, or a Certification of Birth (Form FS-545 or DS-1350). If you do not have these documents, check with the passport acceptance agent for documents that can be used in their place.
TWO RECENT PHOTOGRAPHS Photographs must identical, two inches square, on a plain, light (white or off-white) background, and must show a front view, full face, and they must have been taken within the past six months. Vending machine photographs are not acceptable.
PROOF OF IDENTITY, such as a previous U.S. passport, a Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship, a valid driver's license, or a government or military ID.
FEES are $60 for a ten-year passport for those age 16 and older, and $40 for a five-year passport for anyone under 16. These amounts include a $15 fee for document handlikng. Make your check or money order payable to Passport Services. Post offices and passport agencies can accept cash, but courts are not required to do so. If you must have the passport in less than 25 business days, it will cost you an additional $35 rush charge.
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER: Although you don't have to have a Social Security number to get a passport, Section 6039E of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 requires that passport applicants provide this information. Passport Services gives this information to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) routinely. Any applicant who does not provide the information is subject to a $500 penalty enforced by the IRS. (Any questions about this can be directed to the nearest IRS office.)

No matter what your homeowners policy includes, it probably doesn't protect your home-based business. Smaller businesses can sometimes be covered by special endorsements on a homeowners policy, but if you go this route, make sure these are covered: loss or damage of furniture and equipment, plus such things as computer data and valuable papers. Of course, if run a large home-based business you'll need — and want — a separate business policy and greater liability protection.

When gasoline prices rise, most of us start looking for ways to use less gas (other than by not driving so much, that is!) Although there are practical steps we can take to increase gas mileage, the Federal Trade Commission warns us to be wary of any gas-saving claims for automotive devices or oil and gas additives. Even for the few gas-saving products that have been found to work, the FTC suggest that savings are small. So be suspicious of miracle "Gas-Saving" advertising that claims to "improve fuel economy by 20 percent," for example.The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has evaluated or tested more than 100 alleged gas-saving devices and has not found any product that significantly improves gas mileage. In fact, some "gas-saving" additives may damage a car's engine or cause substantial increases in exhaust emissions. So it kind of comes down to pay more or — awwww! You know!

       Shakespeare said, "Who steals my purse steals trash . . ." — Well . . . maybe not. Wallets and purses now contain things far more valuable than dollars: Your credit cards, your driver's license with your signature and address, possibly your Social Security number, and maybe even a check or two are in there. And worse yet, it could be your identity that's lifted!
        What can you do? Of course, you should cancel your 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. (Note to self: NOT in the wallet!)
        File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where it was stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and is a first step toward an investigation — if there ever is one.
       And here's something else it's important to do: Call the three national credit reporting organizations at once to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security Number. If the thief tries to open a new charge account (or files any application for credit) in your name, the alert signals any company that checks your credit that your information was stolen. Thereafter, they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit. The numbers for the Social Security Fraud Line, and for the credit reporting companies are:
        Social Security Administration Fraud Line: 1-800-269-0271
       Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
       Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
       Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289

Water, Water Everywh-- . . . Oops, conserve it if you can! Feel good about hand washing your dishes? Think again: you're using almost twice as much water as the average dishwasher. Pre-rinsing your dishwasher? Reconsider. Pre-rinsing uses up an average of 6,500 gallons of water per year. And for "uses up" read "wastes;" according to Consumers Union tests, pre-rinsing is completely unnecessary if you have almost any brand of modern dishwasher.

Passbook savings accounts pay only 1%-2% per year, so steer clear. That's less than the rate of inflation!

What happens if your backup contains the potential glitch that trashed the data you lost? Trouble! So here's a possible solution: Maintain two backups, one older & one newer. You may lose newer data, but not the whole barrel of pickles!

Quickie Tips

A counterintuitive fact: One 100-Watt incandescent bulb produces more light than two 60-Watt bulbs and uses 60% less energy!
Chefs advise potato-salad-makers to add the dressing while the potatoes are still hot, because warm potatoes absorb flavor better than cold ones. (Try using Thousand Island dressing for a new flavor!)
One six-ounce serving of orange juice made from frozen concentrate provides the daily recommended adult allowance of Vitamin C. Alas, it also adds 80 calories to your diet. One orange, however, has still more Vitamin C, and about half as many calories.
And while we're talking diets, did you know that one tablespoon of butter adds 100 calories to that baked potato? The same amount of sour cream adds only about 26!

According to the Automotive Information Council, wind resistance against luggage carried in a rack on the car roof can reduce gas mileage by as much as 8%. So if you have to pack things on top of the car, streamline the load as much as possible. Put larger parcels toward the back, smaller things in front, and cover everything with a tight woven tarp.

Find out whether your safe-deposit box is covered by the bank's insurance in case of fire or theft. If not, you may want to add a floater policy to insure any valuable you have stored there,

Catching cold? Docs say, "Wash your hands!"The U.S. Navy recently came up with some interesting news about catching cold. A "treatment" group was instructed to wash their hands more frequently than usual, when returning from a public place, for example, and before every meal. At the end of the study, their health was compared to a control group that had received no special hand-washing instructions. In all the program collected more than one million person-weeks of data. Results: the treatment group had 45% fewer clinic visits for respiratory infections!Cold and flu viruses linger on light switches, door knobs, and hand rails, in public places. Money passes from hand to hand all day. So, especially in winter, it's important to wash your hands frequently. May be a nuisance, but it sure beats a drippy nose!

Kitchen tips: Most people know that lemon or lime juice will remove that dreaded fishy smell from the kitchen. Drop a slice down the disposer, too! . . . But did you also know that coffee grounds will take the scent of garlic off your hands? Used grounds are fine -- rub your hands in the grounds, wet or dry, then wash. (But don't try making coffee with them afterwards!)

Look out for those big rigs, they may be flying blind! Truckers driving very large vehicles may not be able to see you if you�re directly in front of their bumper, or close beside them, or in the blind spot 200 feet behind their trailers. Also be aware that large tractor-trailers often swing wide to the left when the truck makes a right-hand turn.

     OK! That's it from April May for now.
     What! These are such hot stuff that you want still more? Sorry, no more Tabasco Tips till next month! (Unless, of course you're really desperate, in which case there's always our TIP archives.)
      Bye-bye, Buds. --
A.M.

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