Stock investment is a scam

DEAR HELOISE » A few days ago a man called who claimed to be with a brokerage firm, and he tried to get my husband to invest in stocks. He said he was a friend of “Joe Smith” (name changed) and “Joe” had recommended us to him. When my husband said he’d have to discuss the purchase of stocks with his wife, the man became a little belligerent. My husband still refused even though the guy said that tomorrow this stock option would be gone. My husband hung up on him.

As it turned out, “Joe Smith” did not ask anyone to phone us. He had NOT bought any stock recently and never heard of the company that the caller claimed to represent. In other words, it was a scam. How the caller got our friend’s name is still a mystery to us, but we telephoned all our family and friends and told them the story just in case the guy called one of them. Apparently, this is a fairly new scam, so your readers need to be very careful about buying stock over the phone from a complete stranger.

— Jerri-Lynn, Bloomfield Hills,

Michigan

DEAR JERRI-LYNN » Thank you for letting my readers know about this scam.

DEAR HELOISE » We store a lot of items — Christmas decorations, my mother’s hope chest, winter clothing, etc. — in our attic. This past spring, while it was still cool enough, I went up there and rearranged everything into zones. Then I sat down and drew a map of the various zones so I’d know where everything was. No more rummaging through dusty, old cardboard boxes. Everything is stored in plastic bins with the bins labeled listing what is inside. I made a copy of the zone map and pinned it to the attic door so that when we open the door, there is a map in front of the person looking for items up there.

— Elizabeth N., New Haven, Connecticut

DEAR HELOISE » My dad takes excellent care of his tools. He would occasionally loan them to a friend, but he expected to get them back. To ensure that they were returned to him, he painted all the handles a bright orange. No one mistakes his brightly colored tools for their own.

— Andrea P., San Antonio, Texas

DEAR ANDREA » This is a terrific idea. Tools can get lost so quickly when they’re loaned out. This way your dad will know which are his and the ones that are not.

DEAR HELOISE » Before I go upstairs for the evening, I take my “bed basket” and go around the house looking for certain items that I want to take with me, such as a book I was reading, any magazine I just got, a drink or snack, or anything else I need or want. This saves me from having to run up and down the stairs for various items.

— Roy R., Eugene,

Oregon

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Puzzle genre Company with the motto “When you rise, we shine” Arcade game ender

Jimi Hendrix vis-àvis the Monkees, in 1967

Eastern leader Supplied with dough, as a bakery

Giving chocolate to the dog, e.g. “Woo-hoo!,” in Oaxaca

Proceed during rush hour, say

It’s down in France Totals

Graham of “Gilmore Girls” Plant with oily seeds

Give and take African river with a notorious name “Well, who’da thunk it!”

Actor Burton

Hot flash?

One of three brothers in a Puzo best seller Employer of Kirk and Spock

Like O negative vis-à-vis O positive

Hucksters have them

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Dressed, so to speak

Went up Magazine with the slogan “All you need to know about everything that matters,” with “The”

The average American spends over four hours a day on it

All 12 Disney princesses, e.g. Small-business partner, perhaps

Clip

Period before a big deadline

It’s not good Buildings with many wings Ingredients in mattar paneer Place to park

Hoi polloi

Endangered Western wolf Olympic Australis is a noted one Tiny inheritance It commonly comes in black and blue

Trash can, jocularly

Looks like a jerk Chronicle

Hoth, in “The Empire Strikes Back” 9 10

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Regular: Abbr. Path at a university Comment made while waving in a crowd Wrinkle-prone fabric

Parade, with “out” Designer Kamali who made Farrah Fawcett’s iconic red swimsuit Non-taxing part of airline travel? They work using photovoltaic cells Bow

Images of Pluto, perhaps

Assist on the job Part of Canada named for part of Europe

Shows

Reason some kids won’t go to class 31 32

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Yemeni seaport It may be part of a suit

Abstract artist Krasner

Actress who played Queens Elizabeth and Victoria in film Take a plane to “Cheers” actor George

Gear up

Dollar alternative

Paste in soup

Dark clouds, e.g. Private dining room

“The Carol Burnett Show” network

Day associated with Mars, in astrology: Abbr.

Answers to yesterday’s puzzle