I love debunking old tips. For example, there have been e-mails going around for years stating that the best way to peel a banana is from the bottom. The tip states that by doing this you don't get any of the strings. Baloney. You get just as many strings as if you'd peeled it normally. Word of caution: most of the chain mail e-mail tips I've gotten over the years have been bogus.

A lot of people have Facebook pages on the Internet. Just be careful what information you put on your page. Contrary to popular belief, once you put something on the Web, it doesn't go away, and a lot of people will see it. Employers are actually including Internet searches as part of background checks on potential hires.

Here's an interesting story about Facebook. The wife of a friend of mine set up her Facebook page for the first time several weeks ago. Several days after posting her page, she received an e-mail from a high school classmate from 30 years ago. The classmate told my friend's wife that she had hurt her feelings in high school and she had never forgiven her. My friend's wife was devastated.

Remember, when you put something out on the Web, you never know what you'll get back.

Here's one of the best kitchen tips I've heard in a while. If you use tongs when you cook or grill, you know that you can't just lay them down on a spoon holder. Instead, put them in a heavy-duty coffee cup. The cup will hold them up and catch the grease drippings. A beer mug works, too.

Tim Thompson lives in Gainesville. E-mail Tim your ideas for tips, tools or tricks.