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Tuesday, March 1, 2011 – Daily News – 5A FEATURES Toiletry troubles trivial Cataracts treatment Dear Annie: I’m a single father of a 16-year-old son whom I have raised since he was 2. ‘‘Zack’’ is mature and carries himself with confidence. When Zack took up sports and his schedule became busy, we found that it was sometimes necessary to share the bathroom. While he showers, I shave, or while I shower, he does his hair. Last summer, my brother visited us Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar and inadvertently witnessed one such episode where Zack and I needed to get ready at the same time. He didn’t say anything to me but apparently told sev- eral family members, including my parents. When my son and I visited for Thanksgiving, it ended up being the main topic of conversation, with words such as ‘‘unnatural,’’ ‘‘unhealthy’’ and ‘‘disturbing’’ being tossed around. One relative actually told my son it was going to make him gay. Zack understands that sharing the bathroom is no different than shower- ing with his friends after gym class. I did my best to explain this to my fami- ly, but no one wanted to listen. When we visited at Christmas, the subject came up again, and we put up with their narrow-minded views until I saw how upset Zack was. We left early. BY STEVEN ZEITCHIK Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES — If you were watching the Oscars on Sunday night, the narrative of "The King's Speech" beating "The Social Network" played out on sev- eral levels. The Tom Hooper film won in four major cate- gories — best picture, direc- tor and actor, as well as in one of the two screenplay categories — the first time since "The Silence of the Lambs" 19 years ago that a single movie walked away with that quartet of prizes. If you were a follower of Hollywood politics, that kind of haul had a David- toppling-Goliath feel. This was a small film with a director whose lone previ- ous feature grossed less than $1 million, and that starred the second lead from "Brid- get Jones's Diary," triumph- ing over a movie made by a major studio, directed by the filmmaker behind "Seven" and penned by the creator of "The West Wing." But it was also hard to avoid a more cultural sub- plot in Sunday's events: the British-ness of Oscar's biggest prize. The motion picture acad- emy is sometimes perceived as favoring movies with a British tilt. But it doesn't, in fact, show them that much love. Productions from across the pond can win at When my mother called the next day to ask why, I told her. She replied that I was ‘‘overreacting.’’ As a result, Zack has said he would rather not see his grandparents for East- er and suggested we stay home. The problem is, the only times we can visit my parents are during school holidays. Annie, I don’t want my family to miss out on Zack’s life because of some- thing so trivial. I want him to spend time with his relatives, but their atti- tudes are driving a wedge between us. Any suggestions before I buy an Easter ham? — Proud Parent Dear Parent: Buy the Easter ham, and tell your relatives that you will be celebrating holidays at home until they can show a measure of respect and tol- erance. People will treat you the way you demand to be treated. (But please give them another chance over the summer.) Dear Annie: My dad is 87 and has a bunch of medical problems, yet he continues to drink. It’s less than he used to imbibe, but I don’t think he should be having any alcohol at all. I have said this to both of my parents, and their only response is that Dad’s doctor said it is OK. I don’t believe any decent doc- tor would tell an elderly man in poor heath that it’s all right to drink. I suspect some of Dad’s current medical problems were caused by excessive drinking. He was an angry, volatile and verbally abusive drunk. What can I do to convince my parents that continued drinking is not OK? — the Oscars, but it hasn't hap- pened much in recent decades: Before "Slumdog Millionaire" in 2009, you have to go back to 1987 ("The Last Emperor") to find a best picture winner with mainly Britain-based producers. (One of the three "King's Speech" producers is Australian-born but is based in London.) "The King's Speech" was also the first best picture winner in more than a decade to be set in England. ("Shakespeare in Love" did it in 1999.) And the "King's Speech" win on Sunday night marked the first time the academy chose for its best picture a movie that also won best British film at the BAFTAs (essentially the British Oscars) in the mod- ern history of that organiza- tion. But maybe more impor- tant than any of these statis- tical landmarks were the themes of "The King's Speech." Though universal subjects such as loyalty and responsibility ran through the film, there was also an unmistakable British hue to the movie, what with its exploration of an evolving monarchy and its view of an British empire believed to be the best bulwark against Nazism. (The point was highlighted backstage when an English journalist asked the producers if they were in fact monarchists, a question YOUR PET FOOD SOURCE EVERYDAY 9:00am to 6:00pm Cats & Dogs 345 So. Main Street • Red Bluff • 527-4588 COME TO US FOR ALL YOUR PET SUPPLIES! 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But your father is 87 and has curtailed his alcohol con- sumption. It’s unlikely he will give it up entirely. Your choice is to keep berating him or accept him as he is. Dear Annie: ‘‘No Name, No Place’’ worries about her husband dri- ving drunk when he’s coming home from sporting events. There’s some- thing else this wife should do. Some- where out on the road, there is a young couple with their first child, or a teenag- er coming home from a dance, or a wife heading to the airport — none of them deserves to die under the wheels of this drunk’s car. The next time ‘‘No Name’s’’ hus- band heads out for a night of drinking with his buddies, she should call the police. She knows where he’s going and can describe his car and provide his license plate number. The police officer who stops him could be saving the life of the innocent driver he was going to hit on the next block. — Had it with Coddling Drunk Drivers 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. The British are coming? Decoding the 'King's Speech' win that elicited an elaborate answer whose nuances were lost on some of the Ameri- can journos in the room, this one included.) This was a season when movies with a distinctly American tone shone brightly for audiences. "The Fighter" and "Black Swan" took place in highly particu- lar stateside settings and explored quintessentially American themes (the role of the underdog and the price of over-achievement). And that epitome of Ameri- can stories, the redemption Western, was one of the sea- son's biggest hits, as "True Grit" tallied nearly $170 million in box office. Yet the combined Oscar count for those movies was exactly three. On top of that, of course, came the "King's Speech" win over "The Social Net- work," a period movie about kings and prime ministers besting a story of Silicon Valley ambition. There's been much made in recent months about the rise of British actors in blockbusters, with perform- ers from across the pond, such as Andrew Garfield and Henry Cavill, being cast as American superheroes. M-F Now on Facebook 6am-2pm Whole Wheat Now available Scones Call to order Made with Organic & Local Ingredients 446 Antelope Blvd. #38 Left side of Antelope Holiday Mkt 529-1687 True, Sunday night was mainly about one film. But when it comes to calling for the arrival of all things British, the academy is hard- ly afraid to ride that horse. Oscar ratings slip 7 percent LOS ANGELES — Many critics dissed the host- ing combo of James Franco and Anne Hathaway, but considering that the ceremo- ny lacked a huge crowd- pleasing nominee such as last year's "Avatar," Sun- day's 83rd Academy Awards telecast on ABC held up pretty well in the rat- ings. The three-hour-plus show scored a 24.6 house- hold rating in the top 56 TV markets, according to early results from the Nielsen Co. That was down 7 percent compared with last year's broadcast. But the ceremony slipped just 2 percent among viewers ages 18 to 49. That may have been thanks to Hathaway and Franco, the youngest cohosts in Oscar history and an effort by the academy, as Hathaway alluded to in an early joke, to be "appealing" to a youthful demographic. Crafter’s Boutique Mon.-Fri. 11-5 • Sat 11-3 COME & SHOP 50 CRAFTERS IN 1 SHOP! Or Rent a Space to Sell Your Crafts Gifts for family & friends Plenty of parking on Pine Street 650 Main St., Red Bluff 530 519-4174 Furniture Depot 235 So. Main St., Red Bluff 527-1657 MON.-FRI. 9:00-6:00 SAT. 9:00-5:00 • SUN. 11:00-5:00 2011 Buick Regal DEAR DR. GOTT: I recently read some- where that there is a new cataract treatment that uses an infrared laser to bleach the age- induced yellowing of the lens — as opposed to lens-replacement surgery. Would you please discuss this in your column? Dr. Peter Gott DEAR READER: In March 2010, The New York Times science section discussed this very subject. Cataracts are commonly treated by removing the damaged lens and replacing it with a synthetic version; however, the procedure is invasive and costly. As an alternative, an ophthalmolo- gist and his colleagues at the Glostrup Hospital at the Uni- versity of Copenhagen in Denmark came up with what they believe is a promising alternative — bleaching the yellowed lens with a laser. The research team uses infrared light delivered by an extremely fast-pulse laser — so fast, in fact, that two photons hit a target molecule simultane- ously with the same effect as if UV light were used. The newly discovered treatment reduces light absorption and helps restore lens proteins to their proper structure. At the time of the writing, a great deal more research and development was necessary before the procedure could become routine. It is a similar tech- nique to Lasik. Then a Nov. 17, 2010, pilot study report from Stan- ford University covered in the journal Science Transla- tion Medicine indicated an image-guided laser tech- nique is 10 times better than that achieved with current manual methods and could truly change the way cataract surgery is per- formed. Experts say guided lasers will allow eye sur- geons to perform surgery in far less time with greater pre- cision. Statistics indicate that more than 1.5 million cataract surgeries are per- formed in our country each year. An astonishing one in three Americans, primarily senior citizens, will undergo cataract surgery at some point in their lives. The nat- Linda M. Fourby, LUTCF Your Red Bluff Agent ural lens of the eye will be surgi- cally removed and replaced with an implanted, permanent artifi- cial lens. Today, the initial incision is performed manually and the breakup and removal of the clouded lens is performed with ultrasound. With the new technique, however, this will all be done with a special laser guided by 3-D imaging. While it has been made very clear the new technique and imaging will improve the precision and allow for better control, it hasn?t been fully determined whether the method will result in a better outcome for the patient against a known current pro- cedure that already has a high success rate with few complications. With refractive repair, many patients will have 20/20 vision without the need for glasses or contact lenses. Images of the eye are taken to determine the thick- ness of the cornea and dis- tances from the back of the cornea to the front of the lens and back again. The infor- mation garnered can be used to program the image-guid- ed laser so a surgeon can determine the precise cut to make. In response to your ques- tion, newer research remains ongoing and extremely promising. I cannot deter- mine whether infrared laser (or other procedures) is for you. That decision is best left to your ophthalmologist. As with any procedure, make sure that you consult with a specialist you have complete confidence in and be guided by what he or she has to say. To provide related infor- mation, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report ?Medical Specialists.? Other readers who would like a copy should send a self- addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order made 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. Alan Wylie Inspector 4950 Mountain Lakes Blvd #B Redding, CA 96003 Mobile: 530/638-1015 TERMITE INSPECTION • AUTO • HOME • HEALTH • LIFE • COMMERCIAL • FOREMOST RENTERS • BOATS • MOTORCYCLES• BONDS (530) 529-2369 805 Walnut St. Red Bluff • CA Lic.#0C05427 GROWNEY MOTORS 530-527-1034 FREE & SERVICE* or UP TO 15% OFF TERMITE TREATMENT PEST EVALUATION FREE & SAVE 10% OFF PEST CONTROL SERVICE* Rosser’s Bakery & Specialty Foods Now in Stock!