DEAR ABBY: We have been learning about genetics in my biology class and how you have to get two recessive genes from your parents to have the recessive trait, like red hair. I thought it was cool, so I tried to figure out which traits I got from my parents.
Now I am freaked out because there were several traits I have that I could not have gotten from them. At least one of my parents must have been someone else. I asked my teacher without being specific, and she said I was right. Now I don’t know what to do. I wonder if I came from an affair that maybe my dad doesn’t know about. Do you think I should ask? – LEARNED TOO MUCH IN PORTLAND, ORE.
DEAR LEARNED TOO MUCH: Yes, I do. But the people you should talk to are your parents, to get the full history on family traits of relatives from other generations you may not know about.
DEAR ABBY: I am a 911 dispatcher with some hints for your readers in case they need emergency services and must call 911.
Please pay attention to where you are. The most important information we need is the address of the emergency. If you are on the highway, tell us the interstate and closest mile marker, as well as your direction of travel. Many people assume that we can trace their number to their location. While that may be true for landline phones, it’s not for cellphones. Only the cellphone company can “ping” a phone.