The play starts, then you hear that familiar beep, someone is making a cell phone call. How rude can they be, you ask. The conversation continues as the actors send scathing looks until the theater manager escorts the patron out. This is only one example of the unmannerly use of new technology. Cell phones and pagers run amok, or rather the users do, in restaurants, grocery stores, even churches.

According to Brendan Frasier’s character Adam Webber in A Blast From the Past, "Manners are just a way of showing respect for other people." Here are some do’s and don’ts to do just that.

• Spare others from your personal conversations, especially when they can’t leave such as when you are in a plane or on a bus.
• Turn your phone/pager to vibrate when at church, the theater, the movies, a restaurant or other such public place.

• Utilize voice mail. You really don’t have to answer it.
• If you must take the call, try to find some private space in which to do it.
• And please, no dialing while driving.

• Keep your message short and concise.
• While you can’t actually use a signature, put your name at the end of the message so it’s clear who sent it.
• Use upper and lowercase letters. All uppercase is like screaming electronically.
• Use the "Reply to All" feature carefully. Your message will go to everyone to whom the original message was sent.

What to do when you need help with all of your questions about technical issues? We surfed the web and found several possible resources.

Some people need someone to hold their hand, and for that there’s techmommy.com. For just $9.95 per question, you receive help in 24 hours. Go to the website, plug in your question and credit card information and voila, a day later you have your answer.

911MYCOMPUTER.COM offers a range of services based on your PC needs. Level One provides help with e-mail, the Internet, finding a lost document, etc. for $39.95 per hour. Intermediate assistance at Level Two costs $69.95 per hour and provides all the Level One services, plus basic network support, network configuration and settings. For the most advanced problems, there’s Level Three, which costs $139.95 per hour. At this level you receive full network support, network configuration and installation. After diagnosing your advanced problem, an estimate is provided for additional support. Technicians are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Spring into action as you prepare your lawn and landscaping for the season. Your to-do list has grown over the winter and now is the time to get started. Here are some ideas of where to begin.

• For the first mowing, cut the grass short, approximately 1 ½" to 2", to remove leaves and other debris. Certain grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass require at least 2" to develop strong, deep roots.
• Stop weeds before they start with a herbicide that kills as the weeds start to germinate. April 15 provides a good target date for application. Remember to water after applying.
• Make your first fertilizer application of the year. You can combine this with the herbicide.
• Sow grass seed as needed.

• Clean paths and paving.
• Trim hedges.
• Mulch to retain soil moisture and suppress weeds.
• Spray any tree fruit for pests and diseases.
• Guide climbing plants along supports.
• Check flowers for slugs and treat as needed.