William B

Last night, my wife answered a call at 4 a.m.. She said the caller identified himself as "the phone company" and very professionally and apologetically asked her to leave the phone off the hook because he was rebooting the phone lines in the area. Or something like that. He said she would hear a beep when it was okay to hang up. In her groggy state, she did as asked without questioning it, left the line open and went back to sleep.

In the morning, when she told me about it, I checked the caller i.d. and saw that it was a private caller, not the phone company. Then, I contacted AT&T Uverse (our phone service provider) to see if it was them. Negative. The customer service agent was unable to identify the source of the call, so he suggested I turn on anonymous call blocker, which I did.

However ... now I'm left wondering what that call was about, as it was almost certainly not legit. Yet it seemed too professional to be a prank caller, so my question is ... is there a way for a hacker to infiltrate your connection through an open phone line? Was it a criminal checking to see if we were home, so they could rob us? Anyone ever experience anything like this? What should I do about this?

I have an old wooden cigar box that reads:

Piff Paff Puff

Havana Smoker

Guaranteed to be made entirely of Havana cuttings & wrappers

from the El Arte Cigar Co., Tampa, FLA.

Makers of the "Prima Lucia" Clear Havana Cigars

My web searches aren't turning up anything. I would love some thoughts on possible age and collectible value, if any.

Thanks!

Open to other genres, too -- just looking to find out what bands are the strongest advocates of environmental causes. Could be because of the groups they're affiliated with, or because they run their tour bus on biodiesel or because they just speak out. Thanks for your help!

The larger and more family-friendly, the better. Thanks so much!

I just acquired an antique copper and brass fire extinguisher (1900s) that still has a small amount of liquid inside it. I would like to empty it. It looks like the top can be unscrewed -- is that safe to do? It's a "SodAcid Fyr-Fyter" model, if that helps.

I'm doing research on affluent lifestyles, and would like to know which East Coast marinas take in the biggest yachts, and which yacht clubs are the most exclusive. Any insights would be most appreciated.

I'm doing research on affluent lifestyles, and would like to know which Californian marinas take in the biggest yachts, and which yacht clubs are the most exclusive. Any insights would be most appreciated.

I'm wondering if home staging professionals ever seek to park flashy, expensive cars in the driveways of high-end homes in order to make the properties look even more upscale and desirable to potential buyers. Is this ever done? If so, how do they procure the vehicles to park there? From dealers? Car companies?

I'm frustrated with trying to learn songs off of the tabs you can get for free online -- so many of them are incorrect. I'm looking for real sheet music tab. Is there anywhere online you can pay to download real sheet music?

I heard a song in my car around 7 p.m. central time this evening on SIRIUS Left of Center. Cool alt. rock song, kind of funky ... the rhythm almost reminded me of disco. Didn't catch the band name, but I think the name of the song was something like "Everything I Thought" or "Everything I Know" or something like that. Any ideas?

I have a vague memory from my childhood of a movie in which a stranded family escapes off an uninhabited island in a boat they build out of a crashed airplane. Or something like that. Sound familiar to anyone?

I'm about to spend around 500 bucks or so on a guitar and have decided on a Telecaster -- but which one?

I play rhythm guitar in a group that plays a little bit of everything - classic rock, alternative, even a little country.

I have a shot at getting an '06 MIK Lite Ash with the following description: Has all new vintage American Parts and Electronics with exception of bridge plate/saddles. 250K CTS pots and 4-Way Fender switching, (Bridge, Neck/Bridge series, Neck, Neck/Bridge Parallel). Custom Made Translucent Pearl Pickguard by Pickguardian. Nek Pup is Rickenbacker style Filertron, bridge is 60's Alnico Hot 9.4K Repro. Killer Sound. Has Fender Vintage Tuners and Round vintage Trees. Comes with kit bag.

Or ... I could go for a new Nashville Tele ... because I like all the tone possibilities that open up with that extra pickup. I've read that if you have to go up on stage with only one guitar, this is the one.

Thoughts? Which way would you go?

I just installed a PetSafe inground radio fence. The one I had was second-hand and came without instructions, so I did my best based on what the person who gave it to me told me. I'm afraid some of the areas in my boundary range are too narrow, based on my tests. If I turn the dial on the unit down from 10 (to the left), am I right in thinking that will give my dogs a little more room to roam? Thanks!

Can you use one person's miles to buy tickets for others? I need a ticket for me and three more tickets to take my family along.