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2B Daily News – Wednesday, July 6, 2011 FEATURES Menacing messages miff mate Dear Annie: I am con- stantly getting chain-letter e-mails from a friend I met in a class years ago. The e- mails usually contain vague threats about how some- thing bad will happen to me if I don’t forward the letter to five friends, or how good luck will follow if I do. The last straw was when she sent me one that said, ‘‘For- ward this, and something good will happen. If you are not a believer in God, delete.’’ put myself through school and took care of my parents financially and otherwise. I am now a married Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar Occasionally, we meet in person, and our visits are always pleasant. I sometimes send chatty letters or e- mails and ask what is happening in her life, but these chain letters are the only type of correspondence I get from her in return. I find them annoying and have neither the time nor the desire to forward them along. I usually delete them. How do I tell her that I want to continue the friendship, but this type of e-mail is not welcome? — Puzzled Dear Puzzled: Since this is the only type of e-mail you receive from her, you may as well simply assign her to the spam file. If that seems too callous, you will need to talk to her at your next in-person meeting. Explain nicely that you never forward chain letters, and since she now knows you will break the chain, she should take you off her distribution list. Dear Annie: I am the youngest of 10 siblings. We grew up poor. I woman with an authoritative career. While I was strug- gling as a teen, not one of my siblings reached out to help, and I learned never to depend on anyone. Howev- er, five years ago, my 4- year-old daughter passed away. For the first time in my life, I looked to my fam- ily for support. No one came forward. My sisters decided I ‘‘needed space’’ and didn’t even call. We were lucky enough to have another child and have moved for- ward. Now I find myself pushed aside by most of my family because they claim I think I’m better than they are. Since I’m educated, responsible and put my children first, they feel uncomfortable around me. Until they pointed it out to me, I never felt I was any differ- ent. I’ve decided never to contact them again. It tears me apart, but I refuse to beg to be part of ‘‘their’’ family. Tell me if I’m right. — One of Ten Dear One: Your accomplish- ments may make your siblings feel inadequate and jealous. Also, being the youngest of 10 means there is a tremendous difference in life expe- rience. Siblings who are already married with children have little in common with those who are still teenagers. Siblings with grown chil- dren may not relate to someone with infants. Often these differences can be resolved with time, but not always. This isn’t about right or wrong. It’s about what you can han- dle. Dear Annie: I’d like to respond to ‘‘Michigan,’’ who worries her sons won’t stay close when they grow up. I have two sons, ages 27 and 29. My husband and I were very involved in their numerous activi- ties — volunteering in sports, scouts and school — and we tried our best to keep the lines of com- munication open. My sons are now both married, and we are fortunate to have wonderful daughters-in-law and adorable grandsons. Our sons are successful in their personal lives and still call regularly and try to see us as often as possible. We have dinners together, go to sporting events or just spend time at each other’s homes. Please reassure ‘‘Michigan’’ that she is doing a wonderful job and it will pay off. I’m sure her boys will stay close, and she’ll also get the girls she never had. In return, they will have a very special mother-in- law. — A Mom Always 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, P.O. Box 118190, Chicago, IL 60611. Audubon Society events for July The following is a list of Altacal Audubon Pro- gram & Field Trip activi- ties for July. All programs and activities are free unless otherwise indicat- ed and are open to the public. Field Trips July 17, Sunday - Thermalito Afterbay Kayak Trip Trip Leaders: Gaylord Grams and Phil Johnson We will be exploring the bays on the southern end of the Afterbay, view- ing Western and Clark's Grebe nesting areas. We will also be looking for terns, herons, and raptors. You must have your own kayak and a way to trans- port it. Bring a lunch. We will meet at the Park ‘n Ride in Chico at 8:00 a.m. and return at 1 p.m. You can also call Gaylord at 533-1624 or Phil at 570-7139 to make arrangements to meet at the boat ramp. July 22-24, Friday- Sunday - Lassen Volcanic National Park Trip Leaders: Steve King and Nancy Nelson Beat the heat and head for the high country just up the road in Lassen Vol- canic National Park. We have reserved a site at Stem cell controversy DEAR DR. GOTT: Is there any treatment for chronic obstruc- tive pulmonary disease (COPD) using stem cell research here in the United States or overseas? I’m interested. DEAR READ- ER: There are two types of stem cells: embryonic and adult. Embryonic cells are taken from fer- tilized eggs or aborted fetuses and have been found useful for medical research because they have the capability of producing cells for almost every tissue in the body. Adult cells are not as desirable because they are designated for specific cells such as blood, muscle, skin and intestines and are diffi- cult to harvest. Oddly enough, “adult” is some- thing of a misnomer because people of every age have them. Stem cells have the ability to generate new tissue, cure some dis- eases, test drugs and help researchers under- stand why some cells develop in an abnormal manner. Once this is completely understood, scientists may be able to determine how to pre- vent some diseases. Stem cell research is Lost Creek Group Camp- ground for Friday and Saturday nights. This year, Wintu Audubon along with guests, Red- wood Region and Redbud Audubon, will have their Lassen trip on the same weekend and will also be camped at Lost Creek Group Camp. We’ll explore various parts of the park each day. You can join us for one or more of the hikes, kayak or canoe on your own at Manzanita Lake, explore the park on your own or lounge in camp and let the birds come to you. The birding is great right in the campground area. Last year, we had a family of Northern Pygmy Owls right behind our camp. We’ll get together for dinner and campfire socializing in the evenings and perhaps take a night hike to look for owls. Come for all or part of the weekend. If you aren’t interested in camping, you can join us just for the day. There is a $10 fee per car to enter the park and we will share the camp- site fee. Group size is lim- ited. If you would like to join us or need more information, please con- tact Nancy Nelson at 345- 0580 or concownancy@earth- link.net. extremely promising for several disorders, yet the controversy continues. There is a belief by opponents that fertilized eggs are actually human beings with rights. Sup- porters take the position that fertilized eggs are donated with the approval of the couples involved and would like- ly be discarded, elimi- nating the potential for any eggs to become human beings. On the positive side, scientists have devel- oped a successful tech- nique for generating stem cells from mice without destroying the embryo; however, the technique hasn’t been used on either human or embryonic tissue at this writing. The long and short of it is, perhaps other treat- ment might be more appropriate for you at this time. You can find more information from the International Society of Stem Cell Research, www.ISSCR.org. DEAR DR. GOTT: Your articles regarding sleep deprivation and job performance are of inter- est. I sailed as a licensed deck officer aboard U.S.-flag oil tankers for 10 years after graduating from California Mar- itime Academy many years ago. I’m suggest- ARE YOU AT RISK? ....FIND OUT! Affordable Ultrasound Health Screenings • Safe non-invasive testing Immediate written results Friendly professional staff • 25 years of non-profit service with over 100,000 tests provided! By Appointment 1.800.770.0240 Call Today • FREE Blood Pressure, Pulse and Blood Oxygen Saturation Test Included www.rollinghillscasino.com ABDOMINAL PACKAGE: - Liver Screening - Kidney Screening - Gallbladder Screening - Pancreas Screening - Spleen Screening - Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening $150 CARDIOVASCULAR PACKAGE: - Heart Ultrasound - Atrial Fibrillation - Stroke Screen (Carotid Arteries) - Thyroid Ultrasound Screening - CardioVision Arterial Stiffness Index $150 Both Packages $200 a SAVINGS of $100 Friday, July 15, 2011 Mt. Olive Luthern Church 341 E. Solano St., Corning Dr. Peter Gott ing that any future study of sleep-deprived persons add the men and women who work on merchant ships. I did not sail for Exxon (it was BP) but had the same route into and out of Valdez, Alaska, during the late 1980s and believe a lot of what attributed to the Exxon ship grounding on the reef was caused by the crew’s lack of sleep. When the tankers were loading/discharging, I was lucky to get four hours of sleep a day. Sometimes the job had us awake around the clock until the cargo was finished, and then we’d sail off to the next dock. I quit the race more than 22 years ago, found a shore job and never looked back. DEAR READER: You bring up a very good point that I may have failed to emphasize ade- quately — safety. When by necessity we work long hours without relief or adequate sleep, every- one around us pays the price. We become cranky, short-tempered, and find ourselves per- forming tasks with a hit- or-miss approach, sim- ply to get the job done. The quality of work suf- fers and can lead to truly devastating results. We are often troubled with family issues, extra-heavy work loads, coordinating tasks that seem to pile up, caring for children, grandchil- dren or the elderly, meet- ing seemingly impossi- ble schedules. The results are less than opti- mal. If we must get a fami- ly member to school or a soccer game by a specif- ic time and start off late because of work over- load, we tend to drive faster to make up the time. Not only are we endangering ourselves and our loved ones, we are also endangering other drivers and pedes- trians who may be near- by. And it’s all because of fatigue, overload and sheer exhaustion. Excessive sleepiness is the second-leading cause of car crashes and a leading cause of truck crashes in the United States. Sleep deprivation while driving is like dri- ving drunk. 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 K W I K K U T S Family Hair Salon $200 REGULAR HAIRCUT off with coupon Not good with other offers 1064 South Main St., Red Bluff • 529-3540 Reg. $13.95 Expires 7/31/11