Tampa Bay Times from St. Petersburg, Florida • 42

2d TIMES MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 1999 ADVICE romised vacation will never come Daughter still livid over father's affair A iv I 4 ft' that it would cost us $50 for him to come out and fix it He never told us about this one-year guarantee; it's not written anywhere on the receipt. We paid him $287 plus a $20 gratuity to install the carpet and we feel he should rectify the carpet for free. Regina CafFerata Response: Unfortunately your receipt has no name, no address, no guarantee and no description of the work indicating that it should have been power-stretched. Absent anything in writing, we're sorry we're unable to help. Action solves problems and gets answers for you.

If you have a question, or your own attempts to resolve a consumer complaint have failed, write Times Action, P.O. Box 1121, St Petersburg, FL 33731, or call your Action number, 893-8171, or, outside of Pinellas, (800) 333-7505, ext. 8171, to leave a recorded request Requests will be accepted only by mail or voice mail; calls cannot be returned. We will not be responsible for personal documents, so please send only photocopies. If your complaint concerns merchandise ordered by mail, we need copies of both sides of your canceled check.

We may require additional information or prefer to reply by mail; therefore, readers must provide a full mailing address, including ZIP code. Names of letter writers will not be omitted except in unusual circumstances. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Independent Exchange in Hamilton, Ohio, offered me a week's vacation at any resort of my choice in exchange for using my time share in Tierra Verde for potential buyers. When I tried to contact the company about my vacation, I reached an answering machine.

I left many messages, but no one ever returned my call. I next called the Better Business Bureau. It said there were other complaints against the company and that it hadn't been able to contact the company either. I checked with my time share, and my week was used in 1998 by Vacation Destinations. Ruby Ka-vula Response: We have not been able to get a response from the company either.

Our second letter, sent certified, return receipt requested, was returned to us marked unclaimed. Needless to say, the phones have been disconnected. We double-checked with the Better Business Bureau in Cincinnati, and the situation remains unchanged: it has been unable to get a response from the company either. Its letters were returned with the notation that there was no forwarding order. The bureau received one complaint for unfulfilled contract The file was closed.

You can probably guess where we're going with this. Alas, we think you're going to have to forget about that vacation. Green Stamps Can you give me the address to redeem Green Stamps? Gladys Smith Response: Glad to. We don't often hear about Green Stamps anymore. Call (800) 435-5674 or send your name and address to National Mail Order Center, P.O.

Box 5775, NorCross, GA 30091, and ask for a gift redemption catalog. Nothing in writing On March 20, 1997, we had new carpet installed in our living room and three bedrooms. Approximately six months ago, my husband and I noticed that the carpet was buckling in all the rooms. I immediately called the company that installed it, but my calls were not returned. Because it was so bad, we hired another company to fix it.

We were told the carpet had not been properly stretched to begin with, and that we should call the installer back outtorestretcb.it. We finally got ahold of the installer. He told us his work was guaranteed for one year only and Dear Ann: Just before my father died, he confessed that he had been having a long-time affair with his secretary. For 50 years, we assumed my parents had a wonderful marriage. Now, we discover he was cheating with a woman we trusted and stood up for when gossip about the two of them was the talk of the town.

My father told me he was not in love with her and the affair was just a convenience. My mother has forgiven this woman and said we should put it behind us. She says Dad was a loving husband and father and that is how we should remember him. I may have a saint for a mother, but I am seething with anger. I think the other woman's husband and kids ought to have a taste of what we areenduring, and I want to tell them about the affair.

That tramp of a secretary does not deserve to get away scot-free. Would telling her family be mean-spirited revenge, or would it be righteous compensation for my anguish? My mother said, "Ann Landers would tell you to let it go to forgive and forget." How do I begin? Devastated Daughter Dear Devastated Daughter: You can begin by taking to heart your wonderful mother's wise advice. As I have said before, the rage you feel does more damage to the vessel in which it is stored than to the object on which it is poured. Tongue piercing trauma Dear Ann: Three months ago, our 18-year-old daughter "Ra-mona" had her tongue pierced. My wife and I had warned Ramona that if she pierced her tongue, she would lose her rights to the family car.

She apparently didn't care, because she had done it without our knowledge. In fact, her tongue was pierced for almost two weeks before we noticed. 1 grounded her and took away the car keys, but the punishment lasted only a week because it became too inconvenient for me to drive her to after-school activities. My wife was angry with me for giv- iame.com. Bloody Roar get venient to me to have a single unit that lets me travel with so many options at my fingertips.

Grade: A. OVERALL RATING: A buy it for all ages. Bloody Roar 2 BLOODY ROAR 2, FOR PLAYSTATION Here's a game guaranteed to bring out the animal in you. It's also easily one of the best fighters of the year. In the post-millennium world, there's a new breed of fighter.

These mutants blend human form with the power, cunning and abilities of animals. You first saw them in the original Bloody Roar but we promise you, this game goes so far beyond that one that it's almost hard to believe they're related. Only four combatants return from the original, joining seven new brawlers (there are also a couple of hidden freaks). The new lineup includes brawlers who morph into wolves, tigers, bats, chameleons, bugs and bunnies (don't laugh) among others. The brawling is great whether you're in human or animal form.

And the graphics are amazing. This one has the look of a real-time television broadcast with those The Way life The men's version of 'Rules for Dating' By CHIP and JONATHAN CARTER Tribunt Media StrvioM GAME.COM POCKET PRO, FROM TIGER: Here's an updated version of Tiger's hand-held game system. It's an inexpensive ($29.99) alternative to other systems and has plenty of plusses, and a vast improvement over the original game.com. For starters, it's compact about the size of two Pop-Tarts stacked one atop the other. The touch-sensitive screen is monochrome (same as regular Game Boy), but there is a backlight you can turn on and off at will meaning you can play in low light and even in total darkness.

There's also a stylus that stores away neatly in back of the unit that lets you touch the screen with pinpoint control (and avoid all those messy finger smudges). But don't worry, you don't do everything by touch. There's a directional controller on the left side of the screen, and four multipurpose buttons to the right, plus start select buttons. Wheels on the side of the unit let you adjust volume and contrast. Games come in matchbook-sized cartridges and cost about $20.

You can choose from a handful of titles, ranging from Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune to trivia and memory games to brawlers like Mortal Kombat Trilogy and Duke Nukem. But equally important are the other functions. There's a phone book that lets you store a handful of numbers, addresses and notes, a perpetual calendar and a calculator, all of which makes this a very NANCY PARADIS ACTION We also ran the company by the Ohio attorney general's of- fice. It had received two complaints, one in 1998 and one in 1999. Those complaints were similar to yours, with the consumers having contracted for a vacation week in exchange for the use of their time shares by prospective buyers.

In one case, the consumer paid the company an additional $399. At least you paid no upfront fees! The one thing we did learn from the Ohio complaints was the address of Vacation Destinations in Port Orange. There are three companies with similar names in Florida, but the one we believe had a connection with Independent Exchange has gone out of business, its owner having died, according to the Bureau of Timeshare as well as the attorney who initially filed the papers for the company. VIDEO GAMES handy game system to have on the road. The original game.com had an Internet link that required special equipment to go online.

That's not an option in the new version, but it doesn't really matter because that wasn't a very good idea in the first place. You dpn't really want to go online when your keyboard interface is a stylus that does one letter at a time! JONATHAN SAYS: Games like Resident Evil and Mortal Kombat Trilogy don't do so well here (they don't on Game Boy, either) But puzzle games like Jeopardy and the memory quiz Henry are a lot of fun. The real question is, will ga-memakers continue to support the system with new titles? If they don't, then what's the point? You can't rent games for this system anywhere I know of, and even at $20 a pop, teens on a budget can't afford too many. Grade: B. CHIP SAYS: At a bargain basement $29.99, nobody but a teen on a budget is much going to care how long the game.com sticks around.

Who cares if it's obsolete in a year it's cool now! The system made it through its first year in a much less convenient form; the new configuration can't do anything but help its survival odds. The game.com wouldn't be my first choice as a gaming system, but it does a lot of things well. I like the puzzle games too, but the other functions are equally appealing and the backlight alone makes game.com worth the price. It's con- Q2239 E339 833S9 E229 ESSSH CONSULTATION Eat in Restaurants or at home Quick, Safe, Sure No Expensive Pre-packaged Meals BY LABOR DAY! I I VSMW Sr ml ANN LANDERS COLUMNIST ing in, but we have since made peace. All is not well in our household, however, because my wife flatly refuses to speak to Ramona.

Our daughter is a good kid, Ann. She comes home on time and never gets into any trouble. I think my wife's continued silent treatment is excessive. Ramona has tried repeatedly to talk to her mother, but it does no good. I want to see their relationship improve, but every time I bring up the subject to my wife, we argue.

Do you have any suggestions? Depressed Dad in the Midwest Dear Dad: Your wife should try to bury the hatchet, not so much for Ramona's sake, but for her own. Three months is much too long to be stewing in silence about something that was done by a daughter who is of legal age. I suspect your wife's anger is rooted elsewhere. Since this is having a bad effect on your marriage, I suggest you join counseling now. The pun department Dear Ann: When I was growing up I had a friend whose name was Carmen Cohen.

Her mother called her Carmen. Her father called her Cohen. By the time the poor kid was 12 years old, she didn't know whether she was Carmen or Cohen. Sioux Falls, S.D. Fan Dear S.D.: I don't usually care for puns, but yours was one of the better ones.

Write Ann Landers, co Creators Syndicate, 5777 Century No. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. 1999, Creators Syndicate Inc. ABIGAIL VAN BUREN DEAR ABBY hand. What exactly are you trying to show your date by leaving nearly all of a $20-and-up dinner on your plate? If you go dancing with your date and another man asks you to dance, decline even if the other man is better-looking.

Men are not mind readers. Speak up or they won't know. If you like them and want to continue dating, say so. Three words men really hate to hear: "Couldn't you tell If you're going out simply because you don't want to go to dinner, a movie, a wedding, a party, alone, do him a favor: Leave him alone. He's a person, not an escort service.

Other Side of LA. Dear Abby: Be happy with who you are and what you have. Don't expect a man to make you feel good about yourself. Accept the fact that not everybody is born looking like Cindy Crawford. Don't play games be honest and upfront with us.

We like that and deserve at least that much. Male Reader in California Dear Abby: The one-size-fits-all set of dating rules would be a problem for many people. Some men feel insulted when a woman offers to share expenses, while others appreciate it. Some women feel insulted when asked to share expenses, while others wouldn't dream of having men pay their way. Rather than a fixed set of rules, I suggest a novel approach: Talk about it! Communication is essential.

Discussing dating etiquette provides a quick insight into the other person's values about money and relationships. It also provides an early test of how easily the two of you can discuss and resolve a difficult issue. Psychologist in Berkeley Write Dear Abby, Universal Press Syndicate, 4520 Main Suite 700, Kansas City, MO 641 11-7701. 1999 Universal Press Syndicate Meant ml A ratings clear edges, bright colors and crisp; definition that put you right in the moment The action is fast and hot especially once you've warped animal mode (you have a meter that builds up, then drains after you morph, determining the length of time you can stay in i animal mode) The power and speed of the animal characters are stunning. If you're a brawling fan or one who's gotten bored with traditional fighting games this one's well worth a look.

JONATHAN SAYS: it is so cool to morph into the animal characters. They're not just great fighters, they're also hilarious seeing a bat and a bunny rabbit going at it is too funny for words. A. CHIP SAYS: This one's a stunner when it comes to looks and impact. It won't reawaken my dormant interest in brawling games I think I'm beaten too far down for anything to do that but I have played it more than a few times just to see what's going on with all the various critters.

B. OVERALL RATING: A buy it for ages 12 and up. Write to Chip and Jonathan Carter in care of the St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St Petersburg, FL 33731.

Was i Phone SPT 899 liDfi i Jrsii it "I 1 WHY WEIGHT? HNECREST PLACE 1 Li 3r) 47 Dear Abby: As a man who has been dating for years, I'd like to respond to the "Rules for Dating" that you printed from "20-Some-thing in LA" and her girlfriends: her friends think they're getting shabby treatment from men, maybe it's because they're treating men rather shabbily. Men aren't obligated to treat women like princesses, buy them dinner or take them to a movie. It's a gift a man chooses to give a woman, and she shouldn't take it for granted. Tom in San Diego Dear Tom: That column on "dating rules" generated a barrage of responses (some not fit for a family newspaper) from both men and women of every age group. Today we'll hear from the male readers.

Read on: Dear Abby: I agree it's a good idea to call days ahead and plan a date, and then call the day before to confirm it, but the woman shouldn't cancel at the last minute. Just because a guy is not an Adonis, Fabio or Donald Trump doesn't mean he's worthless. Once you get to know him, the ugly frog just might turn out to be Prince Charming after all. Wiseguy Turned Wise in St. Louis Dear Abby: Try not to be rude or cold when turning down a date.

Remember, a man puts his self-respect on the line every time he approaches a lady. He's nervous just as you would be if you were approaching an attractive man for the first time. 30-Year-Old Romantic in Kansas City Dear Abby: These are the '90s. Many women have excellent careers. Often a woman earns even more than a man does.

You can't expect the guy to always be the one to pay. If the girl has not offered to pay for something in the first three dates, we regard that as a sign she is just "marking time" until someone she really likes comes along. Two Anonymous Guys in LA. Dear Abby: If you're asked, "What would you like to do?" the man is not being indecisive just courteous. Give honest suggestions.

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