So you've visited www.donotcall.gov and think you're on the "do not call" registry that is supposed to keep most telemarketers from bothering you. I sure did! But, guess what? I signed up in the early days of the registry and my numbers didn't get on the list. I know this because I wanted to complain about some calls I've been getting recently, including one mortgage company that has repeatedly told me that if I will merely "press 2" that I'll be removed from their list. Well, I've been doing it almost daily for weeks now.

On the Federal Trade Commission's site, users can verify whether their numbers are on the list. Mine didn't show up, so I (re)registered by home and home office numbers, as well as my cell phone. I'll recheck in a few days and see if they really do get added this time.

Meanwhile, I remain a big believer in the TeleZapper, which emits a special tone when you answer the phone (or your machine answers) that tells many computer dialing systems to hang up and delete your number from their list. The only problem with this is that sometimes people hear the tone and think your answering machine has picked up. You might want to answer with more than just "hello" so these folks will realize a real person has answered.

At $29.95 (RadioShack, etc.), the TeleZapper makes a great present. A single unit will serve all the phones in a home.