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8A – Daily News – Saturday, January 22, 2011 FEATURES Hubby’s hesitant humility harms holidays Dear Annie: A few years ago, my husband and I had some problems and we separated. My parents were wonderfully support- ive at the time, but when I decided to return to my marriage, they insisted my husband apologize to them. He refused, saying he only owed apologies to me and the children, and even if he did apologize to my par- ents, it wouldn’t change their feelings toward him. I tend to agree with him. They have had a rocky relationship since we were engaged. My parents have now decided that my husband is not welcome in their home if he doesn’t apologize. That is their choice. My husband is pretty good about letting me take the kids to see my folks without him. The problem is always during the holidays. meals alone. That isn’t good enough. She complains that all she gets are the ‘‘left- overs’’ of my day. Christmas was difficult Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar last year. How can I get Mom to understand that I can only be in so many places at a time? I am tired of the guilt trips. What can I do short of telling her that we won’t come at all? — Not Looking Forward to Easter Dear Not: Your mother My husband and I each have children from previous relation- ships, and they need to see those sets of parents and grandparents on the holidays, too. My mom, no mat- ter what, is never happy with how I divide my time. I am tired of being told, ‘‘It would be nice if you would eat here once in awhile,’’ or ‘‘Why can’t you stay longer?’’ I have told my mother that I am doing the best I can, but will not leave my husband to eat holiday understands perfectly, but she is selfish. She wants all of your time and doesn’t care how hard it is for you or how unfair it is to others. Stop explaining your reasons, and learn to ignore her complaints. Give her whatever time you can manage, and if she doesn’t like it, too bad. Dear Annie: I can’t help com- menting on the letter from ‘‘Con- fused in California,’’ who asked what to call people who are separat- ed but not divorced. I suggest we invent the word ‘‘detachee’’ for women and ‘‘detache’’ for men who are separat- ed from their spouses. We should all agree that this word refers to some- one in the process of detaching him or herself from a marriage. We can give the term a bit of French flair by pronouncing it ‘‘day-tah-shay,’’ the way we do ‘‘fiancee.’’ There’s noth- ing wrong with inventing a word as long as we all agree on what it means. — G.F. Dear G.F.: We like it! Read on for a few more suggestions: From the East Coast: For 20 years, I lived in New York City, where the Draconian divorce laws kept many people together long after the marriage was over — dead, but not buried, as I used to say. We called them ‘‘The Terminally Separated.’’ Louisiana: ‘‘Confused in Cali- fornia’’ should simply refer to him- self as ‘‘married.’’ He should call his wife, who isn’t living with him anymore, his ‘‘wife.’’ Those status- es do not change because of the liv- ing arrangements. If he meets someone with whom he wants to pursue a relationship, then he can explain the dynamics of his marital relationship. California: My husband and I have been separated for six years, and I, too, struggled with what to call him. I now refer to him as my was-band, which often gets a laugh and is easily understood. 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. NEW YORK (AP) — Strong profits at General Electric sent industrial stocks higher Friday. General Electric Co. gained 7.1 percent, lead- ing the 30 stocks that make up the Dow Jones industrial average. The conglomerate’s earnings rose 52 percent on growth in equipment orders and lending. Strong earnings help send stocks higher Wall Street 2.2 percent. The Dow rose 49.04 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 11,871.84. The company’s results helped send industrial companies in the Stan- dard and Poor’s 500 index up 1.2 percent. 3M Co., another industrial con- glomerate, gained 1.4 per- cent and Textron Inc. rose Bank of America Corp. lost 2 percent, making it the weakest Dow stock. The country’s largest bank reported a $1.6 bil- lion loss in the fourth quarter after setting aside more money to buy back faulty home loans from investors. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index gained 3.09 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,283.35. Technology companies in the S&P 500 fell 0.3 percent, the worst of any of the 10 company groups that make up the index. Apple Inc. lost 1.8 per- cent and Microsoft Corp. fell 1.2 percent. The technology- focused Nasdaq compos- ite index slid 14.75 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,698.54. Chip maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. sank 6 percent. AMD’s fourth- quarter profit shrank com- pared with a year ago, when a big legal settle- ment it won from archri- val chip maker Intel Corp. lifted its earnings. Google reported a 29 percent rise in income after the market closed Thursday. The Internet search giant said that co- founder Larry Page will take over as chief execu- tive, replacing Eric Schmidt. Google’s stock fell 2.4 percent. Bond prices rose slightly, sending their yields down to 3.41 per- cent from 3.43 percent late Thursday. Rising and falling shares were about even on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume came to 1.3 billion shares. Lectures to spotlight Korean War James I. Matray, profes- sor of history at CSU, Chico, will give a lecture titled “Fighting for Peace: Lessons of the Battles of Pork Chop Hill,” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2 in Rowland-Taylor Recital Hall. YEARBOOK This would probably be it: If Red Bluff had a Matray’s lecture, part of CSU, Chico’s History Lec- ture Series for 2010-2011, is free and open to the public; a reception will follow. Americans were grim and fearful 60 years ago as U.S. forces fought in des- perate and bloody clashes with Communist forces to stabilize battle lines in Korea, Matray said. “Late the prior Novem- ber, massive Chinese inter- vention in the Korean War had inflicted huge losses on American units, resulting in a disastrous retreat and the worst defeat in U.S. military history,” Matray said. “Near universal among Americans was the belief that events in Korea marked a new phase in the diabolical plan of the Soviet Union aimed at noth- ing less than world con- quest.” City and County Information Recreation Guide Local places of interest City Map & Street Guide Schools Directory Church Guide Public Services Calendar of Events …and more! Glossy stock Magazine Format 10,000 distribution 7,000 as a special insert to the 3000 print for distribution to visitors, new and prospective residents through Chambers of Commerce, hotels and Information Centers D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY 24/7 presence online version on www.redbluffdailynews.com for a full year, with links provided to Chamber of Commerce, RB City and County websites. Businesses: Make sure YOU are part of it! Advertising Space Reservation Deadline: Friday, February 4 at 5 PM Advertising Representative Today! 527-2151 Call your Daily News Local U.S. military would hold and then assume the offen- sive during February 1951, resulting in the front stabi- lizing just north of the 38th parallel—the border between North and South Korea when the war began. Armistice negotiations Rocky Mountain spotted fever needs treatedment DEAR DR. GOTT: I need some information on Rocky Moun- tain spotted fever. My 47-year-old boyfriend was diagnosed with this in November 2009. He contin- ues to get worse, has a lot of memo- ry loss, poor bal- ance and uses a walker. He still tests positive after all this time. He waited several weeks before get- ting any help. He had a high fever, was confused, and could not walk. At this point, I called the ambulance and had him taken to the hospital. All the doctors that we have seen during several hospi- tal stays have said that he will never recover. He was given antibiotics at one point, which his doc- tors called a “big gun” and were the strongest there is. He is depressed, has mood swings, cries a lot, and depends on me 24/7. Around the same time, he also had a staph infection that he got from an open wound. Is there anything I can do to help him? DEAR READER: started the following July, but an agreement on a cease-fire came only after two more years of talking and fighting. Thereafter, the Korean conflict would become known as the For- gotten War. “For most Americans who were adults during the war, Korea was a need- less struggle in which the United States abandoned larger aims and made con- tinuing human and materi- al sacrifices during endless cease-fire talks,” Matray said. “In place of victory, peace had left recent clashes on the battlefield to define Korea in the American memory as a pointless stalemate in which U.S. soldiers fought to seize barren hills for no identifiable purpose.” Perhaps the most famous of these engagements occurred in April and July 1953 on Pork Chop Hill. For more information, call Matray at 898-6475 or send an emial to jma- tray@csuchico.edu. COMFORT SERVICE INC. 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In many cases, cul- tures should be taken to determine which antibiot- ic will be most effective in eradicating the infection. This is because staph are adaptable. Less than 10 percent of cases can be treated with penicillin, and up to 50 percent of staph found in hospitals is resistant to another com- mon antibiotic, methi- cillin (referred to as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA). Now to the Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Caused by the bacteria Rickettsia rickettsii, this illness is most commonly transmitted by the Ameri- can dog tick, wood tick or the Lone Star tick. Con- trary to popular belief, Rocky Mountain spotted fever is not found only in the Rocky Mountains. The name was given because some of the first identified cases came from the area. In 2002, according to the CDC, North and South Carolina, Okla- homa, Missouri and Arkansas had the most cases reported. North Carolina and Oklahoma alone accounted for 35 percent of all reported cases between 1993 and 1996. Early symptoms include high fever (102 F or higher), severe headache, chills, abdomi- nal pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light. As Mark's Fitness *Get into Shape, Get Healthy, & Enjoy a Good Quality of Life!* * Private Personal Training - FREE Consultations! ! * Public Spin Class: M-W-F @ 6 PM - Ask about monthly FREE classes! ACE Certified & Senior Fitness Assn. Certified Personal Trainer (530) 941-2832 821 Walnut St. Red Bluff Dr. Peter Gott tions). If treatment is delayed or not sought, Rocky Mountain spotted fever can cause brain damage, shock, gangrene (result- ing in amputation of the affected area), meningitis, blood-clotting abnormali- ties and heart, lung or kid- ney failure. On rare occa- sions, it can be fatal. Treatment is fairly straightforward for those who seek and initiate treatment within five days of developing symptoms. For these cases, antibiotic medication, most often doxycycline, is taken for one week to 10 days or until at least three days after the fever and symp- toms subside. Because your boyfriend waited so long before seeking help, he may be suffering from permanent damage to his brain and/or other organs. I urge him to be examined by a physician or special- ist familiar with Rocky Mountain spotted fever, particularly in cases in which treatment was delayed. He likely needs an extended course of antibiotic therapy. DEAR DR. GOTT: My 16-year-old son gets little almost hard balls in his throat. Yellowish in color, they are usually a little larger than a grain of sand. They are not hard but not soft, either. Today, he choked up one that was larger than usual and pink. Any idea what they could be? DEAR READER: Your son may be experi- encing tonsil stones. These are compressed particles of bacteria, food and other debris that get caught in the tonsils. His latest one was pink, suggesting that there was some irritation and mild bleeding into the tonsillar stone. Make an appointment for him with his physician to dis- cuss the situation. Per- haps a referral to an ear- nose-and-throat special- ist is in order, especially if he has other symptoms such as a sore throat, swollen tonsils, bad breath or difficulty swal- lowing. Those with minor or no symptoms may not require treat- ment. For those with associated symptoms, the only surefire treat- ment for stones that cause problems is removal of the tonsils; however, some patients may respond well to antibiotics. In the mean- time, he may wish to try gargling with saltwater in an attempt to remove them. 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 A Clean, Reliable, Trustworthy, Chimney Company... Possible? ”Their tarps are always clean and my home is always clean afterward. What I like best is their reliability and quality.” “I can trust them!” Dr. Evan Reasor Flue Season 527 3331 THE Chimney Professionals the infection pro- gresses, sufferers may experience diarrhea, restless- ness, widespread aches and pains, a red-spotted or blotchy rash on the wrists or ankles, and deliri- um (restlessness, confusion, possi- ble hallucina-