>My friend who is a
>nurse at the VA stated today that a friend had looked up the name of a famous
>athlete, and not only found his name, but address and phone number as well.

It isn't clear from the original post *where* this person found the address
and phone number.  However, anyone can look up the birth announcements in
the paper, copy the names down, and easily look in the local phone book for
the addresses.  It wouldn't surprise me at all if the local formula reps do
this as part of their job duties.  In most places, you have to specifically
request that the paper *not* publish the birth information if you don't want
it in the paper.

Also, anyone whose phone number and address are listed in their local phone
book in the US also has that information listed in numerous places on the
Internet.  These sites are quite useful for looking up old boyfriends (less
so for old girlfriends, who often change their names when they marry), old
co-workers, old school teachers, old neighbors, etc.  Several examples are:

switchboard.com and anywho.com

Some will even print out a map to the house, though the map to our old house
in the country would not have gotten anyone to our house!
If your phone number is unlisted, then you aren't on these sites.

Kathy Dettwyler