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4B – Daily News – Tuesday, April 5, 2011 FEATURES Pooch problems Dear Annie: Through circum- stances beyond our control, my husband and I recently found ourselves homeless for about a month, and we slept in our car. We had two dogs. A friend took one, but no one wanted ‘‘Rex.’’ Temporary boarding was not economical- ly feasible. Keeping him in the car proved impossible. All the animal rescues and humane soci- eties in our area were full, and they turned us down. Someone reported the situation to the authorities, and we had no choice but to take Rex to the animal shelter. Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar Three days later, my family mem- bers, who didn’t offer us so much as floor space during this time, heard about Rex. They never once considered taking him. When my brother and his wife found out we put Rex in the pound, they sent a newsletter to all the relatives discussing our ‘‘abuse’’ of the dog. They said I was hated, immoral and inhumane and should be ousted from the family. Most family members thought the newsletter was uncompassionate. But my brother stands by his opinion, and I’ve received nasty phone messages from him on my voicemail. My elderly parents saw the letter, and my brother received a tearful call from them. This made him even angrier. We have never been close, but to publicly announce such hatred toward family going through hard times is beyond my com- prehension. We are now settled in our new home and doing well. We discovered that Rex had been adopted by a loving fam- ily, and I passed the happy word. But the message I received from my broth- er was, ‘‘Rex is happier without you. You are an abuser.’’ I feel I am grieving the loss of my brother. How can someone you love kick you at your lowest? — Heartbro- ken Outcast Dear Heartbroken: Some people are incapable of feeling compassion for other humans and overcompensate by focusing on animals. But the fact that your brother wouldn’t take Rex himself indicates he was simply looking for an excuse to berate you. He probably has issues going back to childhood. You cannot make him a more loving broth- er. Stop listening to his messages and concentrate on your new life. Dear Annie: I work hard to keep my weight down. I eat healthful meals, most of them cooked at home by me, and I work out every day. There is no easy fix to weight problems, only a life- long habit of healthy living. I am the caregiver for my 89-year- old mother. We spend a lot of time in various doctors’ offices and hospitals. I am appalled at the weight problems in the nursing profession. It is bad adver- tising to walk into a cardiologist’s office and be helped by a nurse who weighs more than 300 pounds. Doctors are in the business of keeping people healthy, and their nurses should be models of good health. — Gone to the Gym Dear Gone: Overweight people need jobs, too, and perhaps working in a doctor’s office will encourage some- one to become healthier. For all you know, this nurse used to weigh 500 pounds. We agree it is not good ‘‘advertising,’’ but you are there for the doctor’s expertise. Please let them han- dle their staff. Dear Annie: I read the letter from ‘‘Discriminated Against,’’ who thought she was asked inappropriate questions at a job interview. I felt sorry for her dif- ficult situation. When I was a graduate student, I was taught that if you are asked an ille- gal question, you should gently respond, ‘‘Will my answer make a dif- ference to the hiring process?’’ It is less standoffish than, ‘‘You’re not allowed to ask me that,’’ and it gives the inter- viewer a chance to save face. Luckily, I never had to use these techniques, but was grateful to be prepared. — Happy Prof in Canada Dear Happy: Thanks for a great suggestion. We hope our readers will tuck it away for when they might need it. 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. Swift’s fans carry her to ACM entertainer award LAS VEGAS (AP) — Taylor Swift might not be able to count on the men in her life, but her fans have yet to let her down. And on Sunday, they rewarded her with one of the biggest prizes in country music — The Academy of Country Music’s entertainer of the year award. A record of nearly 600,000 voters par- ticipated in selecting this year’s winner of the acade- my’s most prestigious award, the only major award determined by fans. Swift’s crew came through for her on a night when the industry and her peers rewarded fire- cracker Miranda Lambert with four trophies. ‘‘I feel like of all that has happened to me in my life, that’s the best thing I’ve ever gotten to have,’’ the 21-year- old Swift said after the show. ‘‘My relationship with them is everything to me.’’ Fans could vote during the show and her spirited performance of ‘‘Mean,’’ a rebuke to her critics on which she played banjo and nailed the vocal perfor- mance, probably led to a spike in voting. Swift, known for detailing her bro- ken romances and the men who have wronged her, credited a quartet of men who have done her right. She thanked Brad Paisley and Keith Urban — who were among the five other nominees in the category — along with four-time winner Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw for taking her on the road before she became an international sensation and showed her how to do it. ‘‘I see those people when I think of entertainers,’’ Swift said. Lambert, also an enter- tainer nominee, had few expectations after topping the ACMs with three wins last year on the strength of her aptly titled album ‘‘Rev- olution’’ and the song ‘‘White Liar.’’ She had no idea she would top all nom- inees with seven this year. ‘‘I just expected to come to the ACMs in 2011 and chill,’’ she said. It turned out that her poignant song ‘‘The House That Built Me’’ would be an even bigger hit than ‘‘White Liar,’’ though. Written by Allen Sham- blin and Tom Douglas, ‘‘House’’ won song, single record and video of the year with the 27-year-old Lam- bert sharing in all those wins. It mirrors a difficult time for the singer’s family, but those times are over and the song has helped Lam- bert’s star rise to new Crafter’s Boutique Mon.-Fri. 11-5 • Sat 11-3 Closed Sunday & Monday First Friday Night of every month is Womens Night Out Open: 11am - 8 pm Wednesday, April 6 • 12:10-12:50pm Advanced Chiropractic Neurology and Rehab 650 Main St., Red Bluff 530 519-4174 Gifts for family & friends Plenty of parking on Pine Street Looking past the expiration date DEAR DR. GOTT: Can a person hurt himself by eating canned fruit or food after the expiration date listed? heights. She also won her second straight ACM for top female vocalist. As last year’s album of the year winner she got to hand out the 2011 award to close friends Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood of Lady Antebel- lum, who won for their breakthrough ‘‘Need You Now.’’ The trio openly cam- paigned for Lambert’s ‘‘Revolution’’ last time around and told the crowd they were glad it was out of the way as they picked up three trophies, including their second straight top vocal group award. ‘‘Thank you, Miranda Lambert, for winning this last year and not being in the category this year,’’ Lady A’s Charles Kelley quipped. It wasn’t necessarily a surprise that Lady A won the award given the strength of that album since its release in January 2010, but it beat out an impressive list of stars that included Swift, Chesney and the Zac Brown Band. ‘‘Everyone in the catego- ry made such an incredible album,’’ Scott said. 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Some packaging might provide a “sell by,” “born on,” “guaranteed fresh,” “use by,” “best if used by” or “pack” date — the latter indicating when a product was canned or packaged. Consider milk that is sometimes good for almost a week after the sell-by date, or eggs that are good up to five weeks — as long as the label reads a sell date several days into the future when you purchase them. Poul- try and seafood should be cooked or frozen within a day or two of purchase, while beef and pork should be cooked or frozen within a three- to five-day period. I had a discussion with a gentle- man behind the meat counter of my local gro- cery store who indicated some products arrive frozen and are thawed before being displayed. He has personally pur- chased some of these items for his own use and frozen them a second time without benefit of cook- ing and has never had a problem. I must say this goes against everything I have always been told, but I guess people do it. And now, on to canned goods. Canned vegetables and low-acid foods have been tested and found risk-free for up to five years, as long as they have been stored in cool tem- peratures. Humidity can speed deterioration. Spaghetti sauce and other foods with a higher acid content can be kept a year and a half, perhaps longer. If a can is bulging, it should be discarded, because that is an indica- tion that bacteria are like- ly to be present. Become a savvy shopper. Check dates, rotate your canned goods, and when in doubt, throw it out. Common sense must prevail. DEAR DR. GOTT: I’m a 63-year-old female with gray/white hair. I’ve Dr. Peter Gott noticed recent- ly that it is get- ting a yellow tint to it. I’ve always loved the color of my hair but find I have to dye it because of the yellow tint. I’ve not changed any medications that I’ve taken for years. What do you think is causing this? Can I do anything to reverse it? DEAR READER: While your medications have remained unchanged, you may have hormonal changes occur- ring that you are unaware of. Or the yellowing may be the result of over-the- counter supplements, mineral deposits in a swimming pool, sham- pooing with hard water, exposure to sunlight, smoking and hairspray or other styling aids. Buy a shampoo specif- ically designed for yel- lowing hair. Those on the market I am aware of are Clairol Shimmer Lights, L’Oreal Expert Silver shampoo and Aveda Blue Malva. Natural remedies include diluting your con- ditioner half strength with hydrogen peroxide, or using lemon juice or steeped chamomile. Any one of these should be applied directly to the hair and left on for up to a half-hour prior to sham- pooing. Speak with your hairdresser for his or her opinion before incorpo- rating any ideas that may further impair your hair color. Readers who would like additional home remedies can order my Health Reports “Com- pelling Home Remedies” or “More Compelling Home Remedies” by sending a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order for each report made payable to Newslet- ter and mailed to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092- 0167. Be sure to mention the title(s) or print an order form off my web- site’s direct link at www.AskDrGottMD.com /order_form.pdf. 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. M-F 6am-2pm www.expresspros.com 530-527-0727 243 So. Main Street Rosser’s Bakery & Specialty Foods