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Saturday, July 27, 2013 – Daily News 3B FEATURES Mom comments on finances Dear Annie: I visit my family every summer and help my aging mother with her huge yard. About a decade ago, she and my stepdad bought a house for me. It was understood that Annie's eventually I would be able to put my name on the deed, by Kathy Mitchell but at the time, my and Marcy Sugar financial situation was overwhelming. Due to cutbacks at work and other problems, I had to declare bankruptcy. But I should have all my debts paid off in about two years. When I saw my mother today, my aunt was present. Mom made a comment about my finances that left me covered in a bucket of shame. She has never done this before. I am angry, but I suspect she has no clue what she did. I wonder whether she is losing her perception of appropriate behavior and can no longer keep a confidence. The problem is, my aunt is now curious about my financial situation and feels she has the right to inquire since my mother brought it to her attention. I don't know how to handle this. Any advice? — California Dear California: It doesn't matter what your aunt thinks she is entitled to. You are not required to discuss your financial situation with anyone who isn't directly involved. When your aunt tries to get informa- Mailbox tion from you, be polite but firm. Tell her, ''I appreciate your concern, but I'd rather not discuss something so personal.'' It's possible your mother's comment indicated suppressed anger about this situation, and you might discuss it with her. Otherwise, please suggest she see her doctor for a complete evaluation of her mental and physical health. Dear Annie: I recently attended my 10-year high school reunion. When we started college, Facebook was just gaining traction. At the reunion, I was mingling with my classmates and catching up. If someone had posted on Facebook that they had gotten married or had a child, I would comment and say congratulations. There was one classmate who posted that she was going on a month-long trip to Europe. I told her that sounded fun. She responded by saying how awkward it was that I knew her personal business when we hadn't spoken in 10 years. If someone doesn't want others to know about their vacation plans, they shouldn't post them on their Facebook page for all to see. You can put as much or as little information as you desire on your profile. You also can control who sees it. Was it rude of me to discuss this? — Awkward Turtle Dear Turtle: No. When people post things openly on Facebook, they are courting comments from anyone who sees their page, whether or not that is the intent. As you said, there are ways to limit exposure, but you have to set the controls to do so. Pri- vacy is becoming a luxury of the past. It is ridiculous to publicize your life and then act offended when people notice. Still, the best method of handling such unpleasant encounters is to apologize for intruding and back away. Dear Annie: ''Betty'' wrote in response to ''N.N.,'' suggesting that her husband's depression might be linked to celiac disease. I do not have celiac, but have battled with several serious health problems for years. I finally saw a nutritionist, who diagnosed me as highly sensitive to gluten. I thought she was a quack, but I gave it a try. After three days of eating no gluten and feeling better, I decided to have a graham cracker. For the next several days, I suffered with a migraine, cramps and an awful ''hangover'' feeling. My advice is, even if the celiac test comes back negative, he might try going without gluten to see how he feels. My nutritionist had me add more lean protein and ''safe'' carbs such as quinoa and buckwheat to my diet. It's been a year, and my symptoms and depression have much improved. — CLP Annie's Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please email your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. Authorities: Man said he was headed to kill Grace PHOENIX (AP) — A New York man indicted in Arizona on charges that he made Twitter death threats against two national TV commentators over their coverage of Jodi Arias, whom he claims to be in love with, told detectives he was on his way to kill one of them, authorities said Thursday. Maricopa County sheriff's officers transported David Lee Simpson, 48, of Bath, N.Y., to Phoenix, where he was booked into jail Wednesday evening. An Arizona grand jury indicted him July 18 on three felony counts of computer tampering and two counts of stalking. According to a probable cause statement from the Sheriff 's Office, Simpson began his tweets June 11 claiming he was responsible for the killing of Arias' boyfriend. The threats against Nancy Grace and Jane Velez-Mitchell, both hosts of shows on Turner Broadcasting's HLN network, grew more serious June 12, the same day Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said he planned to try again to secure the death penalty for Arias. County authorities said Simpson told them late Wednesday ''he was on his way to Georgia to kill Nancy Grace.'' The man also indicated he had placed several pipe bombs in rural northern Pennsylvania, sheriff 's spokesman Brandon Jones said. Jones said authorities are unaware of any connection between the bombs and the death threats. A jury convicted Arias of first-degree murder May 8 in the June 2008 death of boyfriend Travis Alexander at his suburban Phoenix home. The same panel later failed to reach a unanimous decision on whether to sentence her to life in prison or death. Prosecutors now have the option of pursuing a new penalty phase aiming for the ultimate punishment, or avoiding it and leaving Arias with a life sentence. Grace and VelezMitchell both regularly covered the nearly fivemonth trial. They focused heavily on Arias' guilt, which apparently angered Simpson, according to court records. Among the threatening Tweets was one aimed at Velez-Mitchell stating, ''I will be waiting for you and Nancy'' when Arias' retrial begins. In the same string of Tweets, Simpson indicated he was in Arizona and threatened to ''slit Nancy Grace's throat.'' Investigators found he was actually still in New York at the time. The documents indicate Simpson also used Twitter to threaten a Phoenix woman, who ''stated she was scared to death.'' Maricopa County Sheriff's Office investigators tracked the Twitter account to Simpson and flew to New York to interview him June 25, but Simpson had not yet been placed under arrest. ''He provided a full confession and stated he posted everything on Twitter because he was in love with Jodi Arias and he wanted a life with her,'' according to the probable cause statement. Turner Broadcasting indicated Grace and Velez-Mitchell wanted to pursue charges against the man, according to the probable cause filing. The network also increased its security and told authorities that both TV personalities were concerned for their safety, the filing states. As the investigation continued, detectives received an email from Turner Broadcasting on July 15 that said Grace and Velez-Mitchell were again receiving threats from a person they believed to be Simpson. ''Can't wait see you Simpson in Arizona I'm excited,'' he wrote in one, according to the records. Simpson does not yet have an attorney. Neither Grace nor VelezMitchell apparently responded to him on Twitter, and Turner Broadcasting officials declined to comment. Two days later, the records state, authorities in New York took Simpson into custody after co-workers at a garage where he worked told police he ''had a loaded handgun, and stated he was going to kill Nancy Grace.'' Bath police investigator Heather Barry said Thursday she had been searching for Simpson to charge him with aggravated harassment just to get him into custody. She said she then got a worried call from the garage owner. ''He said he (Simpson) was throwing stuff out, loading up the car, and he's got a gun,'' Barry said Thursday. ''I flew over there before he left town and grabbed him. It was getting crazy.'' She said she'll recommend dropping the misdemeanor harassment count, given the Arizona indictment, but she noted the New York investigation is ongoing. On July 20, Bath and Maricopa County authorities searched a travel camper and car belonging to Simpson. They said they found two guns, a pair of handcuffs, several knives, binoculars, shotgun ammunition, a police scanner and receipts for purchases of two shotguns and a rifle. Simpson was subsequently arrested. He is awaiting arraignment in Arizona set for Aug. 1. Barry said Simpson's story of planting pipe bombs is credible, and she is working with Pennsylvania police to locate the devices. She wouldn't elaborate because she didn't want to cause panic but said ''they are not in a location where we think anybody is in immediate danger.'' Montgomery, the Maricopa County attorney, said Arizona has jurisdiction in the case because the Twitter threats were against ''individuals for conduct that was occurring'' in the state, meaning it stemmed from coverage of the Arias case by Grace and Velez-Mitchell, who both were in the county at times. Enlarged hernia should be surgically repaired hernia is causDEAR DOCTOR ing any sympK: I have an inguinal toms, or has hernia. Do I need to become even a have it repaired? If so, little larger, what will the proceyou should dure involve? talk to your DEAR READER: doctor about An inguinal hernia having it surgioccurs when part of cally repaired. the intestine bulges Dr. K H e r n i a through a weak spot in by Anthony L. the abdominal wall, Komaroff, M.D. repair may be done through near the groin. The bulge can be small or large. open or laparoscopic There is a wall of tissue surgery. Both usually are between our intestines and done on an outpatient other abdominal organs basis. Most inguinal hernias and the skin of our belly. That wall is composed of are repaired by open muscles and a tough layer surgery. The surgeon called fascia. You see the makes an incision in your muscles when a person has groin, then pushes the hertrained his abdominal mus- niated tissue back into cles so intensively that he place. He or she repairs the hernia — the hole in the has "washboard abs." That wall of tissue is wall of tissue — by stitchsupposed to keep the ing together the edges of intestines and other the hole. It's no different abdominal organs inside from stitching together a the abdomen. But holes hole in a shirt. A small can develop in that wall. piece of synthetic mesh When a part of the material reinforces the area intestines pushes out to prevent another hernia. In laparoscopic hernia through the hole, it's called a hernia. When the hernia repair, a surgeon makes occurs in a particular area small incisions in the in the groin, it's called an abdominal wall. He or she inguinal hernia. (I've put then inflates the abdomen an illustration of an with a harmless gas and inguinal hernia on my inserts a laparoscope, a w e b s i t e , tube-like instrument with a AskDoctorK.com.) Men small video camera and instruments, are more likely than surgical women to develop this through the incisions. Viewing the internal scene kind of hernia. At first, an inguinal her- on a monitor, the surgeon nia may not cause symp- pushes the herniated intestoms, or it may cause only tine back into place. The heaviness or pressure in hernia opening is repaired the groin. As the hernia with surgical staples. grows, it produces an Laparoscopic surgery usuabnormal bulge under the ally has a faster recovery skin near the groin. It is time than open surgery. There are advantages likely to become larger and more uncomfortable until and disadvantages to both types of surgery. Talk to it is repaired. As the hernia enlarges, your surgeon about which there's a small chance that option is best for you. a portion of herniated intestine may become Dr. Komaroff is a trapped and unable to slide physician and professor at back into the abdomen. If this happens, the trapped Harvard Medical School. intestine can twist and die To send questions, go to because its blood supply is AskDoctorK.com, or write: Ask Doctor K, 10 Shattuck cut off. An inguinal hernia will St., Second Floor, Boston, not heal on its own. If your MA 02115. Miley Cyrus returns to TV BEVERLY HILLS (AP) — MTV will become Miley Television this fall. The 20-year-old actress-singer is getting a one-hour documentary — not yet titled — on the music network. The announcement was made Friday by MTV Programming President Susanne Daniels at the annual Television Critics Association summer press tour in Beverly Hills, Calif. Cameras will follow Cyrus as she works on her new album, which is due out later this year. Her current single, ''We Can't Stop,'' is No. 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. Cyrus was the star of Disney's ''Hannah Montana'' for four seasons. The series' finale aired in January 2011.