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Tuesday, January 4, 2011 – Daily News – 3B FEATURES Lad laments lost love Dear Annie: I am a 20-year-old college sopho- more. The summer before my senior year of high school, I took a trip to Europe with a religious youth group. From the moment we board- ed the plane, ‘‘Rachel’’ and I shared a connec- tion. By the second day, we were inseparable. After the trip, we stayed in touch. A year later, the youth group held a reunion and I got to see Rachel again. That December, she came to my school’s postseason football game, and we both finally said ‘‘I love you.’’ I spent last summer in her hometown, attending classes at a local university and working part time. Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar The summer could not have been better, but Rachel and I both decided to step back and go our separate ways since she wanted the full ‘‘col- lege experience’’ for her freshman year. But now I want to find ways for us to be together. I feel that this isn’t over — it can’t be. I have no doubt that we are in love. We are perfect for each other in our values, aspirations and every- thing in between. I will give her whatever time and freedom she needs. All I want to know is whether I am right to believe the love we share is too special to die. Do I have LOS ANGELES (MCT) — On paper, they were destined to be mega-hits. "The Tourist," "How Do You Know" and "Gulliver's Travels" should have heated up the box office during the cold and snowy final weeks of the year, drawing audi- ences to the multiplex with the promise of A- list stars, romance and, in one case, family- friendly comedy. Instead, all three films — each of which cost $100 million or more to produce _ underperformed or downright flopped with critics and U.S. movie- goers, squelching holi- day cheer at two of the major Hollywood stu- dios as smaller-budget projects such as "True Grit" and "Black Swan" enjoyed sold-out Christmas-week runs. The lesson for moviemakers? These days, there's no such thing as a sure thing. "In all three cases, the films skew to the classic model for a LOS ANGELES (MCT) — "The Social Network" continues to be a major force this awards season, winning the lion's share of hon- ors from critics' groups. On Monday, it won best picture in the 14th annual Online Film Critics Society Awards. The drama about the birth of Facebook also took top honors for director David Fincher to let her go and move on forever, or should I try to get back together when the time is right? — Confused and In Love Dear Confused: The intensity of finding someone special during the summer may not translate to a per- manent relationship, regardless of how it seems to you now. And too much intensity can be frightening. You and Rachel may have a future together, but you should not presume it, nor should you put your social life on hold waiting for her. Yes, there is a risk that she will find someone else (so might you). We recommend you limit this to a light and easy friend- ship, periodically texting and keep- ing in touch via Facebook. If she wants more, she will let you know. Dear Annie: Several years ago, a dear friend suddenly ended our friendship. Confused, I asked why, and ‘‘Anna’’ presented me with a litany of my faults. I felt blindsided and unfairly treated. I thought I was a good friend. I even took care of her when she was recovering from surgery. Two weeks later, Anna asked if we could be friends again. I replied, ‘‘Of course!’’ and things returned to normal. But last year, she once again abruptly ended things. I have since discovered she has treated others this way. Anna’s cold shoulder is beginning to warm again. I admit, I miss my friend — she’s smart, funny and has many good qualities. But a big part of me says to value my dignity and mental health more. Am I on the financially successful movie: well-known names, large budgets, prime release dates. What really happened in each case is the movie missed the mark," said Bruce Nash, president of Nash Infor- mation Services, a movie financial track- ing and research com- pany. "In all three cases, it was a quality problem." Though "The Tourist," "How Do You Know" and "Gulliver's Travels" have little in common, all three were following formulas that have reaped serious coin. "The Tourist" — which paired two of the biggest movie stars on the planet, Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp, in a romantic spy caper — could be compared to Jolie's 2005 two-han- der with Brad Pitt, "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," whose domestic gross was $186 million. "Gulliver's Travels," starring the likable Jack Black, echoes the big- comedic-star-trapped- and adapted screenplay for Aaron Sorkin. Colin Firth was named best actor for "The King's Speech," while Natalie Portman earned the best actress award for "Black Swan." Christian Bale received best support- ing actor honors for "The Fighter," and 14- year-old Hailee Stein- feld won supporting actress for "True Grit." right track? — Agony in Iowa Dear Iowa: Anna sounds mental- ly unstable. Without appropriate treatment, we can guarantee her hot- and-cold attitude will continue. If you think you can convince her to get help, it might be worth retaining the friendship, but otherwise, you are smart to let this one go. Sorry. Dear Annie: I can understand the health concerns of ‘‘Smokeless in Seattle,’’ who doesn’t want her kids exposed to the grandparents’ smok- ing. But I totally agree with you, Annie. How much longer will Grandma and Grandpa be able to continue the tradition of having the family for Christmas dinner? Could the children buy an air purifier for the grandparents’ home as a gift? If all the family members contributed, a top-of-the-line system could be purchased. This is also a good way to let the grandparents know you are concerned for their health, as well as that of the children. As someone who had wonderful grandparents and who is now a grandparent myself, I hope they will not do anything to endanger that very important relationship. — Con- necticut Grandmother Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. Three big movies follow proven formulas, but fall short splashy veneer. in-a-foreign-land model that worked so well for Ben Stiller and the "Night at the Museum" franchise, two movies that together brought in upward of $427 million in U.S. ticket sales for distributor Fox. As for the Reese Witherspoon-starrer "How Do You Know," Sony was looking for a repeat of the kind of success it has enjoyed with writer-director James L. Brooks' earlier adult-oriented come- dies, such as the Oscar- winning 1997 film "As Good as It Gets" or 2009's star-studded "It's Complicated" from director Nancy Meyers. That film, featuring Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Bald- win, grossed more than $112 million. Whereas in years past movie marketers have been able to sell even poorly executed films with glossy cam- paigns, audiences can now tell when Holly- wood is trying to mask a weak film with a Joel and Ethan Coen's Western also earned a best cinematography award for Roger Deakins. Christopher Nolan won the award for best original screenplay for "Inception." The surreal film also won best edit- ing for Lee Smith. "Toy Story 3" was honored as "It's become harder to hide a bad movie," said a former studio head who asked for anonymity. "They are savvier to our market- ing techniques." With so many varied entertainment options competing for con- sumers' attention, movies released at the end of the year need more than just the right title or a savvy market- ing campaign — they also need to offer the promise of something fresh and very, very good. "Just because you've got a lot of people available doesn't mean you can put anything in front of them and they'll go," said veteran mar- keting executive Terry Press. "People have acted like Christmas is the promised land, and it can be, but the movies still have to deliver because audiences can always stay home and play with their new gad- gets." Online critics name 'The Social Network' best picture the best animated fea- ture, and the Banksy film "Exit Through the Gift Shop" received best documentary. South Korea's "Mother" was named best picture not in the English lan- guage. For a complete list of winners, go to http://www.ofcs.org. Limited treatment options for disorder DEAR DR. GOTT: About a year and a half ago, I was diag- nosed with NMO, or Devic’s disease. I have a mild case so far. It started with shingles and mor- phed into the NMO. My left side is numb, with my left hand hypersensitive. The right side of my neck is what bothers me. I cannot get it, my hips and shoulders to stop aching. The treatment for NMO is steroids, and I am also on Imuran. There isn’t much information on NMO/Devic’s. Do you have any idea how to treat this kind of pain? Any natural pain allevia- tions? DEAR READER: Devic’s disease, also known as neuromyelitis optica (NMO), is an unusual form of multiple sclerosis (MS). The immune system attacks the optic nerve and the spinal cord. The cere- brospinal fluid in NMO sufferers is different from those with typical MS because of its large number of white blood cells and other factors. This is beneficial during the diagnosis process in differentiating the two disorders. Symptoms can include numbness, weakness, loss of vision and bladder and/or bowel problems. There is no cure available, and treatment is somewhat limited; however, research is ongoing. Currently, steroids and plasma exchange are the best options. For some patients, the regular use of steroids may be nec- essary, and relapse may occur when the steroids are tapered off and dis- continued. For those not helped by steroids, plas- ma exchange may be considered. Imuran (azathioprine) and mitoxantrone (Novantrone) may also be helpful. Standard MS therapies have not been proven to be as effective in NMO. You may benefit from practicing relaxation and breathing tech- niques, yoga, tai chi, water aerobics and other gentle, stretching exer- cises. Perhaps acupunc- ture or acupressure may be beneficial. Be sure to speak with your doctor about this before under- going any exercise or alternative therapy. This is important because, in some cases, certain activities can cause more harm. If you expe- rience improvement, your physician should also be aware because changes in dosages and medications may be appropriate. To pro- Dr. Peter Gott vide related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Managing Chronic Pain.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed stamped No. 10 enve- lope and a $2 check or money order payable to Newsletter and mailed to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092-0167. Be sure to mention the title or print an order form off my website at www.AskDr- GottMD.com. DEAR DR. GOTT: Several months ago, I saved a column about a boy who seemed intent on destroying family relations. Surprisingly, you replied with a diag- nostic name — a combi- nation of letters like CDD or something. I would love to do more research on this, but I have lost the article. Can you please help me? DEAR READER: I believe the mother of a boy with ODD (opposi- tional defiant disorder) sent in the article to which you refer. I can- not take credit for mak- ing a diagnosis because she provided it, but I was looking for more answers about what to do to help her son and the rest of the family. You can read the arti- cle again on my website at AskDrGottMD.com/odd -causes-family-unrest/. You can also learn more about on the disorder at the Mayo Clinic website (www.MayoClinic.com/ health/oppositional- def iant- disorder/DS00630) or the Medline Plus web- site, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (www.nlm.nih.gov/med- lineplus/ency/arti- cle/001537.htm). If you think your child may have the dis- order, speak with his or her pediatrician about getting a referral to a child psychiatrist, who can evaluate the situa- tion and determine whether there is a behavioral/psychologi- cal cause. Dr. Peter H. Gott is a retired physician and the author of several books, including “Live Longer, Live Better,” “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet” and “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook,” which are available at most bookstores or online. His website is www.AskDrGottMD.com GreenWaste of Tehama Holiday Tree Collection Will begin NOW through January 14, 2011. Trees will be collected on your regularly scheduled pick up days, or may be dropped off at a dumpster located at: 1. Cedar St./Jackson St. 2. Fairgrounds front parking lot, Antelope Blvd. No ornaments, stands, tinsel or flocked trees will be collected. For more information please contact our Customer Service Department at 530-528-8500 or 800-433-6924.