Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/78178
FEATURES Dear Annie: My hus- band and I are the parents of a 15-year-old boy. ''Will'' is a good student. He has been in a friendly relationship with a 15-year- old girl, and it has become serious. They have had sex on two different occasions, and Will used a condom both times. There was a brief preg- Annie's nancy scare, and the girl was so concerned that she told her parents about her predicament. Now her father wants us to pay for her birth control pills. I don't know what to say about this. I don't know what type of insurance they have. And I think putting her on the pill is saying, ''Great, have sex.'' And who knows whether she will have partners other than my son. Is he responsible for her birth control? What should I do? — His Mom Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar Dear Mom: It's a good sign that your son feels comfortable dis- cussing his sex life with you, but it is unfair to believe that a girl on birth control pills is going to be more promiscuous than a boy using condoms. And while we aren't crazy about 15-year-olds having sex, once they start, they aren't like- ly to stop. You should be relieved that both kids are being responsible about using protection to prevent not only pregnancy, but also sexually trans- mitted diseases. That said, you are not obligated to pay for his girl- WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitt Romney's cam- paign fiercely protested a searing attack ad aired by allies of President Barack Obama on Wednesday, but drew expressions of dis- may from conservatives when an aide to the former Massachusetts governor invoked the benefits of a state health care system he signed into law. ''If people had been in Massachusetts under Gov. Romney's health care plan, they would have had health care,'' spokes- woman Andrea Saul said in an interview on Fox News. The Republican presidential candidate himself rarely mentions the law, which contains a requirement to purchase health coverage similar to the one in the federal law that conservatives despise and he has vowed to repeal. observation after sharply denouncing the ad. In it, which a grim-faced for- mer steelworker, Joe Sop- tic, suggests that Romney and Bain Capital, the pri- vate equity firm he found- ed, might bear some responsibility for his wife's death from cancer several years ago. ''It's just despicable, to be honest,'' Saul said of the commercial, which is aired by Priorities USA Action, a super PAC that supports Obama's re-elec- tion. ''Of course he does- n't want to see ill come to anyone.'' Saul volunteered her checkers judged the com- mercial harshly, some- times unusually so. Additionally, the Rom- Independent fact year-old husband and I have been married for 25 years. For the past 11, he has owned a small yet profitable bar. While he doesn't do much hands-on work any- more, he still supervises the bartenders and the business. Here's the problem. My husband drives home drunk at least once a week. There are taxi services that easily could pick him up and return him the next day, but he prefers to drive himself. I have threatened to leave. I've threatened to toss his belongings in the yard. I've even threatened to call the cops. But I haven't done any of those things, and he knows my threats are empty. Most of the time, he denies that he was drunk, and we go silent for a few days, not speak- ing at all. I have stressed what he is putting at risk. It's his job to prevent this with his customers, yet he's some- how above it all. Last night was the last straw. Since it's never a good idea to talk to drunk people, I let him know I was angry and then went to bed. He is setting a horrible example for our 21-year-old son. Any suggestions? — The Drunk's Wife friend's choice of birth con- trol. He should continue to use condoms. Her body belongs to her. Dear Annie: My 62- Dear Wife: You both are setting a horrible example. As long as there are no consequences for his behav- ney's campaign alleged that the president's cam- paign ''lied repeatedly about its knowledge of the content'' of the commer- cial. The allegations were denied. Whatever the particu- lars, conservatives were quick to react to Saul's remark about the health care law that Romney signed as governor of Massachusetts. Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh excoriated Democrats over the TV spot. But he added that the Romney aide's remarks were ''a potential gold mine for the Obamaites, because they can say, 'Well, yeah, and Romneycare's the founda- tion for our plan, Oba- macare,' which they are already out there saying.'' The back and forth over the commercial largely overshadowed the day's campaign activities by the president and his challenger. Romney campaigned Friday, August 10, 2012 – Daily News 5A Should teen's parents pay for her birth control? ior, your husband will continue to drive drunk. Please don't wait for the consequences to be deadly. Fol- low through on some of those threats, particularly the one about calling the police. He may become angry, but you could be saving his life, as well as the lives of other dri- vers. Also contact Al-Anon (al- anon.alateen.org) and get some emotional support. vivor, I would like to thank you for your wonderful response to ''Clue- less on Cancer Etiquette.'' Dear Annie: As a cancer sur- I'd like to add two more sugges- tions: First, please don't comment on how people look. Just say, ''It's good to see you.'' And finally, I was reluctant to make requests when people said, ''What can I do for you?'' Instead, please offer choices such as: ''I want to wash your car, work in your yard, bring a home- cooked meal or clean house while you are at the doctor's. Which do you prefer?'' One neighbor brought easy, quick meals and just dropped them off. Actually, she rang the doorbell and left. It was the sweet- est thing. — K. Annie's Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please email your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. Ad about woman's death causes campaign furor he said. ''That's why we fought so hard to make it happen.'' The president's cam- paign aides said through- out the day they had no connection with the con- troversial television com- mercial and added that they didn't know the specifics of when Soptic's wife became ill. But Sop- tic was featured in an ad the Obama campaign aired in May. in Iowa, where he drew a standing ovation for promising to repeal ''Oba- macare,'' the derisive label that Republicans long ago hung on the law the presi- dent won from Congress. ''That doesn't mean that health care is per- fect,'' he said. ''We've got to some reforms in health care. And I have some experiences doing that, as you know.'' Obama was in Col- orado, where he embraced the Obamacare tag in an appearance before an audience largely made up of women. ''I actually like the name because I do care,'' SACRAMENTO (AP) — A Sacramento fire official said bud- get cuts are in part to blame for the spread of a fire in a city neigh- borhood. Assistant Chief Niko King told the Sacramento Bee the temporary closure of the fire station closest to Wednesday morning's blaze in the Oak Park neighborhood delayed the arrival of an engine with a hose and water. During that James W. Tysinger, Jr. M.D. Eye Physician & Surgeon Fellow American Academy of Ophthalmology We accept Medical, Medicare & most Insurances Office Hours: Tues-Wed-Thurs 8am-4:30pm Mon & Fri 1pm-4:30pm For Emergencies, After Hours, Week-ends, Call 530-567-5001 345 Hickory St. Red Bluff Tel: (530) 529-4733 Fax: (530) 529-1114 Republicans responded quickly with evidence of a conference call arranged last spring by Stephanie Cutter, a top aide in Obama's campaign, in which reporters were given an opportunity to speak with Soptic. Under federal law, the president's campaign may not coordinate its activi- ties with independent groups such as Priorities USA Action. Privately, some Repub- lican strategists expressed chagrin at the favorable reference to the Massa- chusetts law that Romney signed. One prominent conservative Erick Erickson of Red- state.com, wrote forebod- ingly that the episode ''may mark the day the Romney campaign died.'' That seemed unlikely blogger, in the extreme. Polls make the race a close one, to be decided in a battle for eight or so swing states where neither candidate has a decided edge. Key campaign events are yet to unfold, including national politi- cal conventions set to begin later this month, Romney's selection of a vice presidential running time, the fire spread from a detached garage to a nearby shed before igniting a back porch and then scorching the side of an adja- cent house. been taken out service that morn- ing as part of budget cuts. King said firefighters were on the scene at 8:24 a.m., about three Over 25 years of experience The North State's premier supplier of stoves STOVE JUNCTION It's HOT now! But don't get left out in the 5A>6! Serving Butte, Glenn & Tehama Counties Tues-Sat 9am-5pm • Closed Sun & Mon 22825 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff 530-528-2221 • Fax 530-528-2229 www.thestovejunction.com Tony & Carmen Kelley 22679 Moran Road Corning, Ca 96021 530-824-2195 Fax: 530-824-0748 burn injuries, King said. The nearest fire station had One person suffered moderate mate, and a spate of cam- paign debates a few weeks before the election. Romney has been out- raising Obama in the com- petition for campaign cash in the past three months, and is backed by deep- pocketed super PACS that have vowed to spend heavily to help him win the White House. Ironically, given the events of the day, Democ- ratic outside groups have generally struggled to keep pace with those aligned with Romney. The Obama campaign refused to call on Priori- ties USA Action to pull the ad. Bill Burton, a for- mer White House aide and co-founder of the group, defended it. Macular degeneration progresses slowly TOR K: I was just diagnosed with dry AMD. I'd like to learn more about the condition. DEAR DOC- DEAR READ- ER: Age-related macular degenera- tion (AMD) is an eye disease that strikes at the macu- la, a small part of the retina that is responsible for sharp, central vision. People with AMD often Dr. K by Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D. develop blurred or distorted vision. The colors they see are faded. Reading can become difficult. They can- not clearly see objects directly in front of them, which can cause trouble in recognizing faces. Eventu- ally they may develop a blind spot in the middle of their field of vision that expands as the disease pro- gresses. There are two main forms of AMD: — Dry AMD. Most peo- ple with AMD have the dry type, as you do. In dry AMD, there are no new blood vessels growing under the back of the eye, as there are in wet AMD. Dry AMD may affect only one eye at first, causing gradual distortion of the visual field and blurring of central sight. Over time, the second eye may also show symptoms. Some cases of dry AMD progress to wet AMD. — Wet AMD. People with wet AMD all start out with the dry form. Wet AMD is less common but more serious than dry. It progresses more rapidly, and vision loss can occur suddenly. With wet AMD, abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the retina, the part in the back of the eye that sees light. These abnor- mal vessels can rupture and leak blood, which injures the retina and leads to scars. I've posted a picture block the sun's blue wave- lengths — which may pro- mote AMD — also provide protection. For people with wet AMD, medicines called anti-VEGF drugs have recently become available. VEGF is the name for a nat- ural chemical that causes blood vessels to grow; it stimulates the growth of the abnormal blood vessels that are the cause of wet AMD. Medicines that block the action of VEGF can stop wet AMD in its tracks. Col- leagues here at Harvard Medical School played a major role in this discovery. A small number of peo- ple with serious, end-stage disease may benefit from a new implant. The implant is a tiny telescopic lens that is surgically placed within the eye. It magnifies images and reduces the central blind spot, enabling people to recognize images in their straight-ahead vision. We have more informa- tion on AMD in our Special Health Report, "The Aging Eye." (Learn more about this report at AskDoctorK.com, or call 877-649-9457 toll-free to order it.) Because smok- ing can accelerate AMD damage, quitting is a must. Wearing hats and sunglasses that In the ad, Soptic says that the plant where he worked was closed by Romney and Bain in 2001. ''I lost my health care, and my family lost their health care. And a short time after that my wife became ill. I don't know how long she was sick and I think maybe she didn't say anything because she knew that we couldn't afford the insur- ance.'' By the time she went to the hospital, he added, she was found to have cancer and died 22 days later. ''I do not think Mitt showing how vision is dam- aged by AMD on the AskDoctorK.com website. Take a look. Treatment options for dry AMD are limited. High doses of particular supple- ments may slow (and some- times prevent) progression very slowly. As a result, people usually manage quite well even with some central vision loss. If the condition worsens, low- vision aids such as magni- fying lenses or closed-cir- cuit televisions can help maintain quality of life. Dry AMD progresses Dr. Komaroff is a physician and professor at Harvard Medical School.To send questions, go to AskDoctorK.com, or write: Ask Doctor K, 10 Shattuck St., Second Floor, Boston, MA 02115. with bipartisan support Assemblyman Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber) announced that the Joint Legislative Audit Committee has granted permis- sion this afternoon for a thorough audit to be conducted expediently in the Department of Parks and Recreation. Legislators on both sides of the aisle have come together in agreement for this request, which should shed greater light on the Parks 'special funds' issue. Parks audit request granted Romney realizes what he's done to anyone,'' Soptic says, ''and further- more I do not think Mitt Romney is concerned.'' Romney has long said he left Bain Capital in 1999 to take over the man- agement of the troubled 2002 Salt Lake Olympics Games. Official claims budget cuts to blame for fire's spread minutes after the fire was report- ed. But the closest engine with the hose and water did not arrive until 8:27 a.m. In the wake of service cuts caused by large budget deficits, Sacramento residents can vote for a sales tax increase of half a per- cent in November. If the initiative passes, the sales tax will increase to 8.25 percent, raising an esti- mated $28 million. Amazing Finds Bunk New & Consigned Furniture & More bed $ 158 RED BLUFF 530-917-1138 REDDING 530-917-7797 22660 Antelope Blvd. amazingfindsredbluff.com amazingfindshome.com Back to School Furniture Closeouts Two Locations - 30,000 square feet 3351 S. Market St. See details in store & online "I am pleased with the outcome of this hearing and for the bipartisan support for this audit," Nielsen said. "All of the audit request will be completed; however, the commis- sion will prioritize and expedite the audit items which are budget relevant. The aim is to have them scrutinized by January 2013, before the beginning of state budget deliber- ations. This should in no way give hope that this problem is solved, nor that the problem is limited only to this one department." Assemblyman Nielsen represents the Second Assembly District, which includes: Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama and Yolo counties. PRESERVING THE HARVEST Learn different ways to preserve your harvest; SAT. AUG. 11 @ 10AM-FREE CLASS *Call now to reserve your seat. drying, canning, freezing, candied, etc. Come get inspired! All in-stock Concrete and Wrought Iron Yard Decor. The Entire Month of August! 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