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The main problem is that the dating success is not equal. I …Read more.
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Happy Mother's Day
Dear Readers: Happy Mother's Day. Please phone your mother, grandmother, mother-in-law, stepmother or foster mother and wish them the best. And our special good wishes to all the new mommies who are celebrating their very first Mother's Day. Also, …Read more.
Thank You, Mom and Dad
Dear Annie: I am writing a long overdue thank-you note to my parents. They are faithful readers of your column. Mom and Dad, I am thankful that:
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March Is National Kidney Month
Dear Annie: I was just 18 years old when a routine doctor's visit exposed off-the-chart high blood pressure and landed me in the emergency room. As a carefree teen in my first year of college, I felt healthy and assumed it couldn't possibly be anything more than a little stress. Even the ER doctor took a look at me and said he was sure there couldn't be anything wrong. Imagine the shock when the blood tests showed I had stage-four kidney disease. I was dangerously close to needing dialysis or a kidney transplant, but I had no clue that I'd been suffering from a silent killer.
Kidney disease often goes undetected because symptoms may not appear until the kidneys are actually failing. One in three American adults is at risk due to high blood pressure or diabetes, two of the leading causes. The good news is that early detection and proper treatment can slow the progress.
My battle with kidney disease has turned me into a fitness guru and an advocate for kidney patients. I now do something active every day. By following a careful diet and working closely with my doctors to manage my high blood pressure, I have been able to prevent further damage. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and positive attitude can affect your medical prognosis in the best possible way. I can attest to it.
Will you please encourage your readers to get their kidneys checked? March is National Kidney Month and March 14th is World Kidney Day. The National Kidney Foundation is urging Americans to learn about risk factors and get their kidneys checked with a simple urine and blood test. For more information on these tests and staying healthy, and for a schedule of free kidney health screenings across the country, please suggest that your readers visit the National Kidney Foundation at kidney.org. — Leslie Field, Bradbury, Calif.
Dear Leslie Field: Thank you for reminding our readers how important it is to get regular checkups to make sure their systems are running smoothly. More than 26 million Americans have kidney disease, and most don't know it. People often don't consider their kidney health, yet it can make a tremendous difference in the quality of one's life. We hope our readers will check the National Kidney Foundation website for more information.
Dear Annie: Now that I'm part of the over-50 crowd, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to read the expiration dates on goods, even with my reading glasses on. Particularly troublesome are the expiration dates that are at the bottom of a white box where the numbers are indented and also in white.
The manufacturers would do us baby boomers a great favor by marking the expiration dates in an easy-to-read location, preferably in black ink with larger letters and numbers. If we can see them, we will replace them more readily when they expire, which would be a boon for business, as well. — Maryanne
Dear Maryanne: You've made an excellent argument, and we hope it wins over the product manufacturers. We're on your side.
Dear Annie: "Faithful Wife" said her husband of 44 years was showing some intense behaviors around an old flame, spending $12,000 on a facelift and accusing his wife of lesbianism.
If these behaviors are a continuation or exacerbation of old behaviors, I am right with you on your advice. But if they are changes from a man who used to be reasonably "normal," then I would suspect frontotemporal dementia, of which these sorts of socially disruptive disinhibitions are classic symptoms. — MA, LSA
Annie's Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please email your questions to anniesmailbox@comcast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. To find out more about Annie's Mailbox and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2013 CREATORS.COM 
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Comments
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53 Comments | Post Comment
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I have a friend whose kidneys gave out due to eating expired food with a lesbian who had dementia.
Comment: #1
Posted by: Soozan
Thu Feb 28, 2013 9:45 PM
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* * * * PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT * * * *
LW3 refers to the first letter on 24 January 2013.
Comment: #2
Posted by: Miss Pasko
Thu Feb 28, 2013 10:00 PM
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Soozane, your comment was better than all three letters.
Comment: #3
Posted by: MT
Fri Mar 1, 2013 12:02 AM
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Soozan, hilarious and thank you for that! I've been working tonight and needed the laugh badly!
Comment: #4
Posted by: nanchan
Fri Mar 1, 2013 2:03 AM
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Here's the original letter 3: doesn't seem like dementia to me!
Dear Annie: After 44 years of marriage, I can no longer trust my husband. "Steve" reconnected with a high school flame, and the end result was late-night emails, texts and calls. He even bought throwaway phones so they could stay in touch and meet out of town.
We went for counseling, and Steve took a stack of note cards to the first session with ultimatums for me. He accused me of being a lesbian and having affairs with women at work and in our neighborhood. He then shared the intimate details of our sessions with his old flame and invited her to come along! He wrote long multiple-page letters and slipped them to my therapist when he thought I wasn't watching. Recently, Steve spent $12,000 of our money on a facelift, and he has set up at least 10 email accounts to hide things from me.
He finally promised to cut off communication with this woman unless it was about the upcoming high school reunion. We began to put things back together, and then he again initiated intimate contact with her and went to our high school reunion without me.
Is there any hope of trusting this man again? Or at age 64, am I looking at moving on? — The Faithful Wife
Comment: #5
Posted by: nanchan
Fri Mar 1, 2013 2:18 AM
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LW2--You're living in a dream world if you expect your letter to an advice column to suddenly cause major food packagers to redesign labeling to ensure old biddies can read the expiration dates. Instead of expecting the world to revolve around you, why don't you be proactive and solve your own problem. When you purchase perishable items, use a black Sharpie permanent marker to write the purchase date in large script across the side or top of the item. Since it's safe to assume that most dairy, meat and produce have shelf-lives of one to two weeks plus or minus a few days, depending on the item, you'll have a pretty good idea at a glance when items are about to expire.
LW3--"I would suspect frontotemporal dementia, of which these sorts of socially disruptive disinhibitions are classic symptoms." Sorry to disagree Dr. Excuses; my diagnosis would be an old fool suffering a severe mid-life crisis.
Comment: #6
Posted by: Chris
Fri Mar 1, 2013 2:42 AM
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Re: LW1, getting regular exercise and going to your doctor at least once a year, always good things to recommend.
Re: LW2, I'm in the "under-50" crowd, still (but just barely), and when I found I was having trouble reading the fine print on pill bottles and other items about 2 years ago, I went to the eye doctor, got tested, and got a new prescription (progressive lenses). Now I don't have any trouble at all. Maybe your reading glasses aren't enough (esp. if they aren't prescription), and you should talk to a professional.
Re: LW3, it's unclear about the dementia, but given that this wasn't consistent behavior throughout the marriage, it's entirely possible, especially as some of the described behavior is bizarre. But it almost doesn't matter... if the husband isn't getting medical help and going to counseling and keeping his word, it will be hard to keep such a marriage together.
Comment: #7
Posted by: Mike H
Fri Mar 1, 2013 2:43 AM
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Re: MT
Agreed!
Comment: #8
Posted by: Kitty
Fri Mar 1, 2013 2:45 AM
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LW2 - I do agree that a lettering on a lot of labels (not just the expiration dates) should be made easier to read. I don't normally have trouble reading fine print, but some directions are printed on light-colored backgrounds in white letters and they're almost impossible for ANYONE to read.
Comment: #9
Posted by: Kitty
Fri Mar 1, 2013 2:52 AM
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Soozan - thank you for the laugh this morning!!
LW2 - Chris is right in that if you think writing to the Annies is going to make all manufacturers chance their expiration dates, you are in for one big disapointment. If you can't read them, get a magnifying glass to see it and then write it yourself all big with a black sharpie.
Comment: #10
Posted by: Michelle
Fri Mar 1, 2013 3:30 AM
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Re LW3: if after 44 years of marriage the husband is suddenly showing bizarre new bizarre behavior, a medical checkup is indicated. For example, a stroke can cause behavior changes. The stuff described in the original letter goes way beyond just an old guy looking for a new honey, so I'm doubting a "mid-life crisis".
Comment: #11
Posted by: dave
Fri Mar 1, 2013 4:28 AM
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Re LW2: The lettering that really bothers me is on electronic devices. For example, I have to operate my big screen TV with the remote because all of the buttons on the TV are black on black. It looks pretty but I can't even see the buttons, much less tell what they do. What were people thinking when they designed it? Did they ever have someone walk up to it & try to switch it on???
Comment: #12
Posted by: dave
Fri Mar 1, 2013 4:32 AM
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Will someone please explain to me how someone with dementia could do the following?
1. Keep track of throw away phones (plural, suggesting multiples).
2. Write a stack of note cards with ultimatums and effectively communicate those to a counselor and to his wife.
3. Write multi-page letters to the therapist much less figure out a way to "slip" those to the therapist (he had to have had a plan).
4. Keep track of at least 10 email accounts, including PASSWORDS.
I don't buy this is dementia. I think this is just a DOG being a DOG. Giving him the pass of dementia is, well, demented.
Comment: #13
Posted by: nanchan
Fri Mar 1, 2013 4:40 AM
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LW1: I've heard of silent killers, but I never would have guessed kidney disease as one of them. Thank you for your thoughtful, timely letter and a reminder to have everything checked during the regular doctor's visit.
LW2: I'd suggest a magnifying glass or, as Mike H suggests, an adjustment of a reading glass prescription. Perhaps with your letter, you and others who have the same observation can get together and ask the companies to increase the size of the type used for expiration dates.
BTW Chris and Michelle: While I agree that writing the Annie's isn't going to enlighten manufacturers into taking into account eyesight problems, for the rest of us it raises awareness and might encourage someone to get people to act.
LW3: Maybe in some cases it might be this form of dementia as the LW suggests, but if the original LW is correct, it's a guy trying to check out an old flame and seeing if there was something he missed out on or would have liked better than his wife, now that she's no longer satisfying him (due to the note cards with ultimatums, blaming her for his infidelity, trying to justify himself with pre-written letters to the therapist).
It may be bizzaire behavior, I'd admit, but this is a guy who's determined to have his affair and doesn't care what his wife thinks.
Comment: #14
Posted by: Bobaloo
Fri Mar 1, 2013 4:41 AM
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@nanchan - LW3's husband may not be senile, but can still have something like a stroke that affects his personality. Just because you can function competently that doesn't mean that there's nothing wrong. I know several people who had strokes that affected their behavior, even though they were still able to do normal activities. If these behaviors emerged suddenly, then I'd suspect a medical problem. Hard to believe he's been like this for 44 years.
Comment: #15
Posted by: dave
Fri Mar 1, 2013 4:47 AM
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Please, let's not pile on the expiration date LW that writing to the Annies isn't going to change anything, the same way everyone piled on the LW who wanted background noise reduced on TV and the volume on radio ads reduced. Let's face it, 99% of the LWs are not going to see a lick of change or get advice other than "talk to them" or "see a therapist", two things they could have thought of themselves, so why pile on these sods and not all of them? It's tiresome.
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For what it's worth, the Annies do still appear in 10,000 papers and online, with a readership well into the millions, and some of those millions will no doubt agree and take up the LW's cause. This means getting a letter published in the Annies is the equivalent of running a multi-million dollar ad campaign with one big exception--it's FREE! FREE! FREE! So if you have a cause and no organization and no money to promote it, writing to the Annies is actually an excellent idea to reach millions of people, at least some of them likeminded and ready to write to manufacturers and government representatives, without spending a single cent. And sorry, but governments, social and health agencies, manufacturers, packagers and advertisers DO track and pay attention to what's being said in the media, letterwriting and social media campaigns. Bottom line, writing to the Annies about these things is not as dumb as you think.
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Why do you think the Kidney Foundation convinced the Annies to publish the first letter above (don't think for a second they weren't involved) as well as getting creators to publish that headline? Same concept.
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Oh, and BTW, anyone heard about the new CALM Act? Yeah, that's the new government law saying advertising can't go beyond a certain volume level. So yeah, the public voice can force advertisers and manufacturers to changed, even if they don't want to.
Comment: #16
Posted by: Jane
Fri Mar 1, 2013 4:54 AM
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Re: dave
(11) I can agree that a stroke may cause a behavioral change, but as for the stuff described being "way beyond just an old guy looking for a new honey"? No way, Jose.
This type of behavior is VERY common with men who want out of their marriages, 44 years or no. We've seen a lot of comments from posters about how their husbands accused them of doing all sorts of bizarre things to try to take the focus off THEM and THEIR bad behavior.
Comment: #17
Posted by: nanchan
Fri Mar 1, 2013 5:12 AM
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Holy cats, Nanchan, that sounds EXACTLY like dementia or a mental decline to me. I'm surprised at your lack of compassion here. Have you ever dealt with someone who starts to lose their mind? I have, a few times. It's awful, and it usually begins with just this kind of crazy thinking and illogical planning. (Remember, all of his plans and tactics were so stupid that none of them worked.)
Since you asked someone to explain it to you, I will. Dementia doesn't appear all at once overnight, and the damage from dementia, strokes and other brain diseases don't have to be all encompassing, because they usually only affect only one part of the brain, especially at first. Surely you've heard that different parts of the brain involve different functioning. That's why people with autism can be geniuses at math but can't read facial expressions. That's why people who are sociopaths can be charming dinner companions and then murder someone without an ounce of remorse. That's why people who have had a stroke can have the left side of their body paralyzed and not the right. That's why someone with a brain tumor may be unable to work but can still drive a car. That's why people with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome can tell time on a digital watch but are almost incapable of learning to tell time on an analog clock. That's why people with Alzheimer's can remember what happened 50 years ago but can't remember that they ate lunch 5 minutes ago. I could go on and on and on. Go watch A Beautiful Mind and see the true story of how an absolute genius could funtion in the real world while his mind turned to mush.
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That's why the LW3 mentioned frontotemporal dementia, since clearly they think these behaviours could arise from damage to the frontal lobe of the brain. Did it not jump out at you that all four of the questionable activities you bring up not only are crazy and ineffective behavior (if you're saying he had a plan, it sure wasn't a very logical one) and they all involve communication and especially WRITING things down?
Comment: #18
Posted by: Jane
Fri Mar 1, 2013 5:22 AM
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And for the parents out there....
A classic early sign of possible kidney disease is bed-wetting.
if your child has a chronic problem with bed-wetting, have them checked out by a pediatrician soon because it can get worse as the child ages and can result in kidney failure. George Lopez went through this and actually did an episode (on his sitcom) about this.
Comment: #19
Posted by: nanchan
Fri Mar 1, 2013 5:51 AM
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Jane, thank you for your post.
But I'm still having a REALLY hard time thinking that in the LW's case, it's some kind of brain damage.
No, I haven't been around a lot of people who have "lost their minds" (your words) but I hardly think that everyone who loses their minds goes out, finds an old fling, has an affair, then suddenly wants to end their marriage by putting the blame on their spouses.
Sounds more like a guilty husband who wants out of his marriage (without taking any of the responsibility) to me.
Comment: #20
Posted by: nanchan
Fri Mar 1, 2013 5:56 AM
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RE LW#2----
I am one of the many who can no longer read the tiny, tiny expiration dates on things. And it's not just that my eyesight gets worse as I age, it's also that companies keep decreasing the size of the writing.
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The magnifying glass solution is good for reading and marking stuff after you get it home------but when I REALLY want to be able to see what it is, is when I'm actually in the store buying it, and I feel kind of silly carrying my magnifying glass in, like Sherlock Holmes.
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If a product with an expiration date of two days from now is sitting next to one with an expiration date of ten days from now, guess which one I want to buy? It would be nice to pick it up off the shelf, see that it expires soon, and pick some more of the same up to see if they will last a bit longer. (My belief is that manufacturers have figured out that if someone can't see the date well, eventually they will just give up and buy it anyway, which I'm sure happens all the time.)
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Bottom line, manufacturers have changed how they mark the dates, and unless the majority of consumers boycott them, it won't change--------and I doubt that will happen. In any case, most of them do the same thing, so what will we buy instead when we boycott?
Comment: #21
Posted by: jennylee
Fri Mar 1, 2013 5:57 AM
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Re: jennylee (#21)
This is going to be a shock, but I've even heard about stores and manufacturers who leave items on the shelf past their expiration date (sometimes quite a while).
Comment: #22
Posted by: Bobaloo
Fri Mar 1, 2013 6:04 AM
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Re LW3: by the way, I'm not suggesting that the husband should "get a pass" because he might have some mental illness. That was my ex's thinking, that her problems were a "get out of jail free" card. I'm just saying it's worth exploring because IF he has had a stroke or other physical issue, then if he understands that and is willing to work on it maybe he can change his behavior.
Comment: #23
Posted by: dave
Fri Mar 1, 2013 6:08 AM
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Man.. I missed the discussion about Loretta Lynn yesterday :( "I was born a coal miner's daughter...."
Comment: #24
Posted by: Casey
Fri Mar 1, 2013 6:13 AM
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Re :LW#3----
What Mike said. The cause may be medical-------but will he check it out and get treatment? Doubtful-------so no matter what the cause, she still has the same problem.
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I suppose it's possible (not probable, but possible) that the original husband in the letter has some sort of age-related dementia or other problem---------she really didn't say WHEN he reconnected with the old flame and this all started. So we can't tell if it was all recent, or if it was long-standing.
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But even if it is due to a medical problem-------with the behavior he was exhibiting, would he really consent to go to a doctor, be checked out, and if he was diagnosed with something like this, be amenable to treatment? I'd bet money that he wouldn't. Part of the big problem with people being diagnosed with dementia, Alzheimers, etc., is getting them to accept there is something wrong with them. I think the not being able to see it is also part of the disease. And just diagnosing it as a disorder/disease does nothing to solve the problem---------treatment might, but the problem is getting him to do it.
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(My PERSONAL opinion? Mid-life crisis and a scummy way of dealing with it.)
Comment: #25
Posted by: jennylee
Fri Mar 1, 2013 6:14 AM
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Soozan: Thanks for the laugh! Hilarious.
@LW3: I'm torn on this letter. To me, there seems to be plenty of proof of dementia *and* of him acting like a dog (or a combination of both.) My (step step) grandpa (for all intents and purposes my grandpa) has Alzheimer's. In the early stages, and a little into the mid stage, he would flirt with any and every woman. He would make very inappropriate, sexual comments (even to my cousin) and that just was not his personality before the disease. As we discussed on BTL, Alzheimer's can turn people into someone they're not. That may be what's going on with her husband. Also, leaving pages and pages of letters underneath the therapist's door? That sounds like a sign of some form of mental illness. That just doesn't sound healthy! However, a lot of his behavior also sounds calculating. Throw away phones, focus on one flame? I'm just not sure one way or the other. He probably should have a medical evaluation, but I doubt he thinks that and you can't force someone to go to the doctor.
Comment: #26
Posted by: Casey
Fri Mar 1, 2013 6:22 AM
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They sell a magnifying glass that is the same size as a credit card, but a little thicker, to put in your wallet ... much more discreet. I too have problems with not only reading the expiry dates, but finding them!
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So far as print on boxes in the grocery store, the absolute worst is Swanson's TV dinners. Black print on the dark blue package. So far as flyers are concerned, I don't even try to read one that has black print on red. I also have problems with book jackets. Often they are black with various colors of print for the information inside the flap.
Comment: #27
Posted by: melinda
Fri Mar 1, 2013 6:26 AM
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Re LW#1---
Short version here, covers kidney problems AND everything else that might come up (AND frees up this column for printing individual letters from people with individual problems.)
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People----------Go to your doctor. Tell him/her you want to have your kidneys checked. Likewise your heart. Your lungs. Your liver. Your thyroid. Your gall bladder. Your vision and hearing. See if you are anemic. Check your potassium and calcium levels. Have x-rays, have cat scans, have MRIs. Have colonoscopies and endoscopies. Ask your doctor about everything that could possibly go wrong, and have him run tests for it. And THEN (after you have scraped up all the money to pay your co-pays and deductibles for everything)-------go fight your insurance company to get them to pay for the tests. They won't.
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Biggest problem in the U.S. is not that people don't WANT to do the preventative stuff, nor is it that doctors don't want to check these things out---------it's that unless there is a major symptom (which often shows up too late to fix anything), insurance companies fight the cost of diagnostic tests tooth and nail. Been there, done that.
Comment: #28
Posted by: jennylee
Fri Mar 1, 2013 6:37 AM
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RE: Small print on packages: I go to the store early, usually on the way home from the Y, when the market is empty except for night stockers and clerks. If I can't read the expiration date, I ask the young check-out clerk to read it for me. If the store leaves stuff on the shelf past the expiration date, I'm leaving it at the check-out stand. So far this has never happened.
Comment: #29
Posted by: Cyn
Fri Mar 1, 2013 7:04 AM
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Some presentations of dementia look like obsessive-compulsive disorder. Sufferers with that presentation can indeed keep track of multiple small details, and hound others because they don't do the same.
Comment: #30
Posted by: Carla
Fri Mar 1, 2013 7:32 AM
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LW2: I had to replace a broken power adapter a while back. Imagine my frustration when the specifications were in what I'd guess was a 0.5 point font! NO ONE could have read it with a naked eye. I took a picture of it with my camera phone and blew it up larger. Now I use the camera whenever I encounter print that's too small.
Comment: #31
Posted by: Carla
Fri Mar 1, 2013 7:36 AM
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LW2 -
A lot of people are going to suggest you go to your eye doctor and have progressive glasses prescribed, but if you're anyhing like me, you can't afford them. Either get one of those magnifying glasses shaped like a credit card (more discreet than the Sherlock Holmes apparatus), or put two pairs of reading glasses on top of each other - it works. And for those who think it looks ridiculous... well, it does, but only for a few seconds. Personally, I prefer slightly ridiculous for two seconds to completely blind all the time!
And, while the Annies or other such venues are a good place to reach millions of people (some of whom will be working in the industry), it wouldn't do any harm to e-mail the companies you are patronising to let them know of the problem.
LW3 -
Some of the behaviour is so ridiculously outrageous and far-out (the accusations of lesbianism and the saga slipped to the therapist come to mind) that this definitely does looks like a mental disease to me. Going back to the original letter, what we don't know for sure is how long it had been going for, and if this was new behaviour. But the fact that she states she can "no longer" trust her husband indicates she used to be able to, which would signal a recent change.
We do know, however that, given his treatment of marriage counselling, getting him to the doctor for a medical assessment was extremely unlikely.
If it's a brain tumour, it could be treated, but not if it's dementia. Neither are addressable anyway if he won't consult. Because this was not fixable, the best advice that was given to this woman dealt with how to protect herself and get out.
Comment: #32
Posted by: Lise Brouillette
Fri Mar 1, 2013 7:41 AM
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Re LW2 & small print: my favorite thing with small print is being on the phone with tech support because my cable isn't working and having them ask for the serial number on the cable box. I can read it if I take my glasses off and get an inch away but sometimes due to the wiring and the position of various things is awfully difficult. Why they can't print these things in large type on the TOP of the box instead of in dark gray on black in micro-font on the bottom of the box is beyond me.
Comment: #33
Posted by: dave
Fri Mar 1, 2013 8:06 AM
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Not to belabor the obvious, but it's in the interests of food manufacturers to have illegible expirations dates because the inability to see if a product is near its expiration date increases the likelihood it will be bought close before (or even long after) the expiration date. Absent government regulation, rest assured that the dates would be printed in 2 point type, white on white, with roman numerals.
Comment: #34
Posted by: Geoffrey James
Fri Mar 1, 2013 8:08 AM
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Regarding tiny print on expiration date stamps: I worked with our Boy Scouts recently to sort donated foods for a church project to feed needy children. They had to sort the foods by type and by expiration date, and these teens and pre-teens--whose eyesight is presumably at its peak--had trouble reading many of them. Squeezable jelly bottles were the worst: black type on a dark purple background. Moving to a window and checking them in direct sunlight was often the only way to read them. Bottom line: It's not necessarily failing eyesight. (Are You More Eagle-Eyed Than a Boy Scout? lol)
Comment: #35
Posted by: Ginger
Fri Mar 1, 2013 8:15 AM
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Re #34, Geoffrey: Lol!
Comment: #36
Posted by: Ginger
Fri Mar 1, 2013 8:17 AM
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I just got my second pair of progressives, brand new prescription. Still not 20-20 and never will be. I also have a credit card sized lighted magnifier in my purse. I have trouble finding the expiration dates on some things. There needs to be a standard place to put it, like the lower inch of the front label. I don't buy things that are almost expired if I don't expect to use it all by then. I like to buy as many as I expect to use by the expiration date if there is a good price.
One time I wanted to buy horseradish, there was one kind and it was all expired and not recently. I took one to the manager and told him I threw away some at home that looked better than that because it was expired.
Comment: #37
Posted by: nonegiven
Fri Mar 1, 2013 8:54 AM
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Re: jennylee (34)
I think the point of AWARENESS is that people like the Annies (and Abby and Margo) have the ability to put the word out to people that maybe something they don't know is related to ____ disease MAY be.
I think the PSA's are entirely justified and encourage them to keep printing... but maybe with other letters that are either related or are jucier than the ones we got today!
Comment: #38
Posted by: nanchan
Fri Mar 1, 2013 10:36 AM
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I'm not an old biddie by any stretch (Chris, you are SUCH an ass!), but I can't read expiration dates or the directions on med packaging either. The size of the print for this important information is scarily small.
Comment: #39
Posted by: aimee85
Fri Mar 1, 2013 10:55 AM
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Re Lise (and anyone else who might be interested)
For anyone who can't afford new prescription glasses, look into buying them online. It costs a fraction of what an optical shop charges. I just got a new pair of progressive distance/reading glasses for $108 grand total and that was with super thin lenses. I like eyebuydirect. They don't have a large frame collection, but they do make quality glasses. You pick your frame, enter your prescription and PD (any optical shop will give you your PD for free) and any special features you want. Works great.
I'm very nearsighted, but for tiny print such as expiration dates I do best without glasses and holding the print about 2 inches from my nose!
Comment: #40
Posted by: JH
Fri Mar 1, 2013 1:13 PM
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Re: JH
Problem is, you need a credit card to buy online. I don't have one.
Comment: #41
Posted by: Lise Brouillette
Fri Mar 1, 2013 1:16 PM
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Re: Lise Brouillette
That is a problem. They do take paypal if you have that. If you don't, you don't have to have a credit card to get a paypal account. A checking account will do.
Comment: #42
Posted by: JH
Fri Mar 1, 2013 1:30 PM
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Re: JH
Also, if you have a bank account most banks will give you a debit card with no fee attached. That is accepted on line the same as a credit card.
Comment: #43
Posted by: Kitty
Fri Mar 1, 2013 1:44 PM
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As usual, Lise Brouillette is full of it and looking for sympathy. I live in Quebec, as she does. We have the most generous social programs - and highest taxes - in North America. Welfare recipients and low-income earners can get prescription eyeglasses for free. Maybe not Progressives, but certainly regular bifocals.
Other things that are free or low-cost here, and not just for he indigent: hearing aids and other specialized equipment for the hearing impaired, dental care for kids under 18, university tuition, day care ($7/day), prescription drugs for those with no private insurance, and of course all medical care.
Lise B. has no excuse to moan.
Comment: #44
Posted by: WinehouseFan
Fri Mar 1, 2013 2:47 PM
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Re: Kitty
And if push comes to shove, I've bought visa gift cards at the store to use.
Comment: #45
Posted by: nanchan
Fri Mar 1, 2013 4:09 PM
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Lise, get off your LAZY behind, and go out and EARN the money for the glasses, instead of spending HOURS each day responding to an online advice column. And stop being RIDICULOUS, thinking that someone is going to pay you to make crappy jewelry or do some off-key singing. You remind me of Cousin Eddie in "National Lampoon's Vacation", whose wife says he is "holding out for a management position". Go get a cashier's job, clean toilets, serve food. Anything but sitting around on WELFARE all day, COMPLAINING about how you can't afford glasses.
Comment: #46
Posted by: Dorothy P
Fri Mar 1, 2013 6:45 PM
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Re: Kitty
I didn't know a debit card was accepted online. Now it is perhaps not accepted everywhere, but still, that would be good. I'll have to look that up.
@Winehousefan & Dorothy P
Frankly, I don't know how a mere statement of fact just saying I don't have a credit card can possibly be construed as me trying to ellicit sympathy. Nor how can anyone who works 60-80 hours a week (depending on the season) can be interpreted as lazy. Why don't you check when was the last time I posted today, and see if I spend all day online every day. As a matter of fact, I'm working a flea market this weekend, and was there setting up today, I just got back. Tomorrow I'll not post before I come home after six.
And yes, Welfare pays for bi-focals and I do own a pair. They's good for driving, thank God I have them. And btw, Welfare pays a fixed amount for glasses, whatever runs extra, you have to pay the difference, and it's always more. About dental work, they pay for the bare basics: a cleaning once a year, obturations and pull-outs, nothing more. If you need a root canal, it's on your dime. And pul-leeze - I'm not complaining, just setting the record straight: nobody's getting gold crowns and implants on tax money here - just saying. Oh, and I don't where you got the idea they pay for tuition? I WISH. I'd have a Phd by now if they did, and would be eligible for academia!
I am VERY grateful I live in Canada and not in some third world country, or in the US where apparently so many people seem to think that poor people are always-always-always to blame for their misfortune and should just starve. And to those who agree with these two - pray to God (and pray HARD) that you never get to need the social net ever, lest you get to see how many people will distort everything you say and do, and fling the poo in your face, treating you like you're some kind of thief. I'm 61, I've worked since I was 16 (I would L-O-V-E to have a job, but nobody wants a woman my age), I contributed PLENTY to this system, and now that I'm the one who needs it, I'm a this and a that? SHAME ON YOU.
JFTR, I'm allowed to be self-employed with Welfare as long as I declare every dime. which I do. Before someone jumps down my thorat and accuse me of being a Welfare fraud... I'm not, and you are ALLOWED to try and help yourself (imagine that).
And btw, Dorothy, you have absolutely no idea what my jewellery looks like, although there ARE some pictures on Delphi for those who might want to check... Nor do you have any reason to believe I sing off-key. You're being a bitch.
Comment: #47
Posted by: Lise Brouillette
Fri Mar 1, 2013 8:06 PM
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Re: Lise Brouillette
Lise, I want to correct one thing you said. There are many people in the US who do not think that it is always the fault of the poor for the situation they are in. The US has its share of idiots who would probably like to rid our country of the "undesirables", but then, who would clean their toilets?
That being said, I don't think you have to justify yourself to these troll-like people. I got on your case a time or two before I understood your situation and I am not proud of that. You sure know how to stand your ground, and I find that quality of yours quite impressive. We should be able to debate our opinions without the personal attacks.
Comment: #48
Posted by: Carly O
Fri Mar 1, 2013 9:15 PM
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Re: Carly O
Thank you. I really appreciate this.
And I don't feel the need to justify myself with trolls but, unfortunately, the OTHER un-trollish posters are not adverse to the yurunda spewed out by the trolls. I have found out that unaddressed accusations and lies end up being believed.
Thank you for being fair. This is a quality I really respect, even and especially in people who do not always agree with me, and with whom I don't necessarily always agree with either. This is what constructive debate is supposed to be all about! ;-D
Comment: #49
Posted by: Lise Brouillette
Fri Mar 1, 2013 9:23 PM
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Re: Dorothy P--Obviously you've never seen any of Lise's jewelry. It is anything but "crappy,"--it is beautiful.
She's never done anything to you, so why do you feel the need to attack her? Or are you a sock puppet for somebody who doesn't have the guts to reveal her previous identity(ies)?
Comment: #50
Posted by: Joannakathryn
Fri Mar 1, 2013 11:40 PM
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Re: Lise Brouillette #47
I know of nowhere that a credit card is accepted that a debit card isn't. I never carry cash (not even loose change) and rarely use credit cards. I write maybe one or two checks a year, and I basically LIVE on my debit card, and do all my shopping on line (other than groceries). The only time I ever use anything else (a credit card) is when I need to buy something that costs more than I have in my bank account, or if I simply want to charge it for some other reason.
Comment: #51
Posted by: Kitty
Sat Mar 2, 2013 3:23 AM
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Re: Lise Brouillette
I never said tuition was free in Quebec. If you reread my posting properly, you'll observe that I wrote "Other things that are free or low cost here:....". Quebec has the lowest cost tuition of any jurisdiction in North America, and by far. It's about a third of what it is in neighboring Ontario, for example. I call that low cost. And CEGEP (junior college) is even cheaper and offers some excellent vocational programs.
Stop with the excuses, Lise. You obviously cant stand being challenged by someone who knows the real score, and prefer to hoodwink these nice unsuspecting Americans. You're just sounding whiney now.
Comment: #52
Posted by: WinehouseFan
Sat Mar 2, 2013 5:14 AM
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Re: WinehouseFan
You can't hear my tone of voice, you have no more reason to assume it's whiny than Miss Sockpuppet has to believe I sing off-key.
Comment: #53
Posted by: Lise Brouillette
Sat Mar 2, 2013 2:54 PM
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