Featured Articles from the Morning Call

If your computer suddenly freezes and the screen says the FBI has locked it because you broke the law, ignore the threat that you'll be locked up unless you pay up. It's the latest scam. A Whitehall Township senior citizen got scared into sending $200 to the crooks. His computer isn't the only one locally that's caught the virus. An Allentown computer shop owner told me he's seen several infected PCs in the past few weeks. The Whitehall man told me his screen turned green last week and a message appeared with the FBI logo.

Q: My grandmother gave me her grandmother's cedar chest. My great-grandmother was Pennsylvania Dutch and ended up moving to Iowa. She was married to a Civil War captain and died at a home for Civil War widows in Iowa. There is a label on the bottom of the chest that reads: The West Branch Novelty Co. / Milton, PA. I would like to know if this chest has any value? L.R., Anchorage, Alaska A: It so happens that a spring 1928 West Branch Cedar Chest catalog is part of the Rinker Enterprises' trade catalog reference collection.

Q: We are in the process of retiring and going through all the junk in our attic. We found Avon perfume and cologne bottles, with the perfume and cologne still in the bottles, shaped like birds, trains, elephants, etc. Some of them are 40 to 50 years old. There are no boxes. We opened one of the bottles and poured the cologne down the drain. Wow! That stuff is potent!! The smell lasted for days. We were wondering if there is any worth to these bottles or should they be junked? R.B., Ephrata A: Vintage Avon cologne and perfume gives real meaning to "eau de piu."

Could you use $5,000 a week for life? Sure you could. That's what Publishers Clearing House will be giving away at someone's door at the end of the month, and that's why scammers exploit that well-known contest's name to trick you into opening yourself up to their deceptive games. With the contest gearing up, you may receive mail or hear more about it in the coming weeks. So it's important that you can tell what's real and what's not. Vic Dennis of Forks Township got a letter recently that's the perfect example of what not to believe . He knew it and passed it along to me so I could share it with you. Addressed to his wife, it told her she'd won $1.7 million.

The 26-year-old Allentown woman kept her pregnancy secret from everyone, authorities now believe. So secret that when Amanda C. Hein began complaining about back pain while sitting in a booth at Starters Pub in Lower Saucon Township, the three men she was with had no idea she was about to give birth, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said Monday. But that night of Aug. 18, Hein delivered a son after leaving the table - laboring in a bathroom stall of the popular sports bar on Route 378 while she ignored her friends' text messages as they worried why she was gone for so long.

Q: Why do my tomatoes do this? [Karen sent a picture that shows deep cracks radiating from the stem area.] Actually, my mother who is 83 grows this type of tomato from seed every year, saving the seeds. She wants to know why the tomatoes split like this. Any ideas? — Karen A: There are two typical patterns of cracks on tomatoes: Those that circle the stem scar in a series of concentric circles and those that radiate out like the spokes of a wheel. Concentric cracking usually develops scar tissue and seals out damaging diseases and molds so although unattractive, the tomatoes are usually edible.

Q -- I own a copy of "The Story of Little Black Sambo," a little black boy who wore a beautiful red coat and a pair of blue trousers. I grew up in Hawaii and remember reading the book as a child. A friend recently found a copy for me at auction. The book was part of the Wee Books For Wee Folks series published by the Henry Altemus Company of Philadelphia. I wish I had all the books in the series. There is no copyright or printing date on my book. I would appreciate any information you can provide about my book.

Elmer Goris spent a year working in Amazon.com's Lehigh Valley warehouse, where books, CDs and various other products are packed and shipped to customers who order from the world's largest online retailer. The 34-year-old Allentown resident, who has worked in warehouses for more than 10 years, said he quit in July because he was frustrated with the heat and demands that he work mandatory overtime. Working conditions at the warehouse got worse earlier this year, especially during summer heat waves when heat in the warehouse soared above 100 degrees, he said.

If you're thinking about grabbing a hose and bucket one of these hot summer days to wash your car, or if you've just noticed that your headlights aren't as bright as they used to be, you're going to love this tip from Robin George in Bethlehem. The lights on Robin's 1999 Isuzu Rodeo were getting fogged over and yellow, limiting the light they'd throw on the road at night. He briefly thought about buying one of those cleaning kits they sell on late-night TV infomercials. But then he remembered a trick he learned from his cousin years ago when they rode motorbikes in the woods.

A detox bath can help you relax while cleansing your skin. Ridding your body of toxins and increasking blood flow and oxygen to your entire body. Hydrotherapy, an ancient practice used by many cultures over centuries has phenomenal healing properties for both the body and soul. A detox bath is an almost effortless way to cleanse your system, and it feels good too! Taking the time to soak a few times per week can do wonders for your health, deepening the mind body connection. Due to pollution and other environmental toxins, everyone builds up toxins, harmful chemicals, and heavy metals in their system; a detox bath can help eliminate these.

The New York Giants have a difficult road to the National Football League playoffs just two weeks into the season, as only 8.8 percent of 0-2 teams recovered to make the postseason in the past 11 years. Under the NFL's 12-team playoff format instituted in 1990, only 8 percent of postseason teams (22 of 276) started with an 0-2 record. Since the NFL's divisional realignment in 2002, just eight of the 91 teams to lose their first two games of a season fought back to earn a playoff berth.

Cancer of the tonsils doesn't strike many people. But when it does, it can be deadly if not caught and treated early. Most ear, nose and throat specialists see about six cases of tonsil cancer in a year, said Salisbury Township ear, nose and throat specialist Dr. Theodore H. Gaylor. But the cancer is considered rare, said Dr. Phillip Vigneri, director of radiation oncology at Sacred Heart Hospital, Allentown. "You can get a cancer anywhere in your mouth -- on the gum, soft palate, tongue, the area where the tonsils are," he said.

If your idea of a perfect vacation is relaxing for days on a white beach lined with tall palm trees, Punta Cana is for you. That 27-mile-long beach is the main attraction here. But reasonably priced packages to all-inclusive hotels scattered along the beach are why Punta Cana is a hot new destination in the Caribbean. I came to Punta Cana after local travel agents told me about its growing popularity. I was invited by the Dominican Republic's Ministry of Tourism, which wants more Americans to visit Punta Cana.