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Thursday, April 22, 2010 – Daily News – 5A FEATURES Husband seems to lack ambition, drive Dear Annie: I have been married to ‘‘Archie’’ for 20 years. He used to be self- employed, but the business wasn’t going well, so he got a regular job. He worked for a few years, but didn’t like it and decided to go back into business for him- self. He said if it didn’t work out, he would find employment elsewhere. Needless to say, his busi- Annie’s Mailbox ness is failing, and we are getting behind with our bills. I can only work part time due to health reasons. Archie has sent out a couple of job applications, but hasn’t heard anything yet. I want him to be more aggressive, whether it’s promoting his own business or making follow-up calls to places where he applied for jobs, but he won’t do it. by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar order? Instead of pushing him to be more aggressive, which only annoys him, work on the underlying causes of his inertia. Suggest he see his doctor. Ask how you can help him. See whether a teamwork approach improves the situ- ation. Dear Annie: Several years ago, Ann Landers printed a poem about our planet, written by a young girl. I think it’s time it was printed again. Will you do it in honor of Earth Day? — Boston Gal Dear Boston: With pleasure. It In this economy, any job would be better than the little he’s doing now. Archie is a bit of a procrasti- nator, and things are not going to just fall into his lap. He considers it nagging if I ask about a job or remind him to make a call. This is having a negative effect on our mar- riage, because I’m worried about our finances and he doesn’t seem to care about his family. It’s like he has no pride. Am I wrong, or is he going through some kind of midlife crisis? — Betty Dear Betty: We don’t think pride is the issue. Is Archie depressed? Does he suffer from undiagnosed Attention Deficit Dis- was written by Misha Mayr, then age 9, of El Paso, Texas: I am the ill earth. People have cut down the trees, which are my lungs. They have polluted the air, which is my brain. They have polluted the streams, which are my blood ves- sels. They have polluted the oceans, which are the chambers of my heart. My wrath has gotten gigantic. My wrath is hurricanes and torna- does. I am the ill earth. If people trash me, I will die, and so will they. Dear Annie: This is in response to ‘‘Little Sister,’’ whose parents give her money for necessities and her older sibling resents it. I would like to tell the other side of the story. My wife and I are in our early 50s, and her parents are also wealthy. We have always been self- supporting and have never asked them for a dime. My 54-year-old brother-in-law, however, has never supported himself. Everything has been given to him. His parents bought him his house and the car he drives. They pay all his bills and give him $2,000 a month for spend- ing cash. This has never been a jealousy issue. It is injustice. We used to try to talk to my in-laws and explain that these handouts were not help- ing anyone. We were told he had ‘‘special needs’’ and to mind our own business. My advice to ‘‘Little Sister’’ is to grow up and take responsibility for her own actions, or in 40 years, she will be in the same boat as my brother-in-law. — Resent Injustice Dear Resent: In all fairness, some children need help at various times in life, and it is perfectly OK for parents to lend a hand. The problems arise when the needy child never becomes self-support- ing and, over time, the other sib- lings feel less important and less loved. Parents need to understand and acknowledge this. 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 Make sure dwelling is insured properly Q: How should I decide what kind of homeowner's insurance to buy -- and how much coverage do I need? A: Whether you own a house or condo -- or are just a renter -- it would cost a small fortune to replace not only your dwelling, but your personal posses- sions. Don't wait until disaster strikes. This is the perfect time for a "home- owner's insurance check- up." Condo owners need to coordinate their contents insurance with the build- ing's "master policy." That policy may differ depend- ing on the building and its insurance carrier. And if your building recently changed carriers, you might not have the cover- age you need for your unit. For example, it's possi- ble that some buildings will cover only the concrete structure, windows and the door to the common hall- way. You may even be responsible for drywall replacement in your unit. Other policies cover fully installed fixtures, such as cabinetry and car- peting. In some cases "original" flooring is cov- ered -- but not if it was upgraded since the apart- ment was initially offered for sale. Depending on your building's policy -- the amount of its deductible and the reserve fund in your building -- you might want to purchase additional coverage for any assess- ment of damage in the common areas. State law on filing condo claims may also dif- fer. In Illinois, if there is a loss between condo own- ers, each makes a claim to his own insurance carrier. If your neighbor caused damage to your unit, your own coverage will pay for dam- age to your property. Your neighbor's compa- ny will reimburse the deductible you had to pay to cover your damage. A homeowner's policy typically will have two components: coverage for the cost of rebuilding the house and a separate stated value for the cost of replac- ing the contents. Be sure you have "replacement cost" insurance because you want to be able to buy a new couch or carpeting at today's higher prices. If you own a house, it's very unlikely the land would be destroyed in a disaster -- so your coverage may total less than the list- ing price if you were to sell. Still, it's always more expensive to rebuild than it is to create the original structure. Make sure your coverage is adequate. Your homeowner's poli- cy should have basic liabil- ity protection for your fam- ily, which will cover your defense and a judgment against you. It also will have coverage for medical costs for visitors who might be injured in your home. And it should have coverage for extra living expenses if you have to move out during recon- struction of your home. But there are separate coverages you might want to purchase, at a relatively low cost: Umbrella lia- bility. This is a separate policy that gives you extra liability coverage on top of the coverage in your home- owner's and auto insurance poli- cies. You can buy it in million- dollar amounts, usually up to $5 million. If some- one sues you for a huge amount, this coverage is designed to pro- tect your other assets. Scheduled property. Your homeown- er's policy may have limits on coverage for individual items such as silverware, coin collections, art, antiques and furs. But you can purchase extra cover- age on these items to insure them for their full replace- ment value or to have them replaced in the event they are lost or stolen. Water problems. A backed-up sewer drain could do huge damage in your basement and destroy your carpets and appli- ances -- and still not be covered if you don't specif- ically have water backup coverage. Flood insurance is sold separately, and it's worth investigating. Terry Savage The Savage Truth on Money Renters need coverage for personal possessions. And if you are renting a ground-floor apartment, keep in mind that typi- cal renter's poli- cies do not cover flood damage. If you're rent- ing someone else's condo, you might be sur- prised that the owner doesn't even have a poli- cy -- leaving a huge financial gap between your personal posses- sions and the price to repair walls and floors after a fire. So ask the owner to show you a cer- tificate of insur- ance. A final Terry's Tip: Use a video camera to docu- ment your possessions with a narrated video tour of your home -- pointing out all the upgrades such as marble countertops or wool carpet or expensive wall coverings. Make two copies, sending one to your insurance agent and storing the other off premises. Yes, the insurance is expensive -- but not nearly as expensive as trying to replace all your stuff. And that's The Savage Truth. Terry Savage can be reached at www.terrysavage.com. Does your business depend on revenue from Tehama County visitors? COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES Smog Check starting at $ (most cars and pick-ups) 2995 + cert. Pass or FREE retest 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. Tehama County Visitor Guide Proudly announcing the 2010-2011 A special magazine publication from The Daily News Handy 4.5” x 10” size Glossy Cover and Inside Pages 9,000 distribution Hotels – Restaurants Visitor Information Centers Chambers of Commerce In and out-of County! Interactive “Page-turn” online version posted on The Daily News’ Website through Spring, 2011 Now Available Organic & Heirloom Spring Vegetable Plants 1 1/2 miles South of Red Bluff 12645 Hwy 99E (530) 529-2546 RED BLUFF Advertising Reservations Deadline: Friday, May 7, 2010 To make sure your business is represented, contact your Daily News advertising representative today at (530) 527-2151 or email D NEWSAILY TEHAMACOUNTY nsouza@redbluffdailynews.com for a full fact sheet in .jpg or .pdf file format Red Bluff Garden Center 766 Antelope Blvd. Red Bluff • 527-0886 Expires 4-30-10 Gait abnormality needs to be addressed DEAR DR. GOTT: I have been having balance problems for almost a year. I’ve seen an ear doctor for possible verti- go, a cardiologist for possible heart/circulation problems and a general practitioner with my concerns. I have to hold on to the wall to turn around when I take a shower and always feel pressure at the base of my neck. I tend to feel off bal- ance even when walking. I have no other sensation when I’m sitting, and I sleep quite well. Dr. Peter Gott affected area. The good news is that enormous advances have been made in recent years and tumors that were once inoperable are now success- fully removed. Medications such as sedatives, antihistamines, Please help with at least a suggestion, because I have had no diagnosis from any of the five doctors I’ve seen. I even saw a neurolo- gist, who only suggested physical therapy. I’m hop- ing for a response. DEAR READER: It’s time for a second — or sixth — opinion. Some- thing is being missed, and I am concerned about the complaint of constant pres- sure at the base of your neck. There are a number of balance disorders that can be caused by a variety of medical conditions. Com- monly, the first considera- tion is the inner ear and Meniere’s disease, fol- lowed by but not in any specific order: hematoma from a fall, brain tumors, poor vision, advanced age and medication-induced problems. Normal balance requires three systems working in harmony — visual, somatosensory and vestibular. When one fails to function properly, bal- ance can be dramatically affected. Meniere’s is an inner-ear abnormality associated with fluid volume changes. It presents with acute dizzi- ness, the sensation of pain or pressure in the affected ear, tinnitus, roaring sounds and fluctuations in the abil- ity to hear. If this were your case, it is likely only one ear would be affected, a rel- atively straightforward sign. Tumors of the spine are abnormal masses causing minimal symptoms until they grow large enough to affect neurological func- tioning. I must state that not all tumors are cancer- ous. Numerous benign growths such as chordo- mas, schwannomas and acoustic neuromas can occur, presenting with loss of balance, dizziness, dou- ble vision and more. Diag- nosis is commonly made through CT, MRI or cere- bral angiography of the tranquilizers, antiseizure drugs and those for hyper- tension carry the potential for causing dizziness and balance problems. If you are on any of these drugs, speak with the prescribing physician to determine whether they could be caus- ing your balance problems. Did your physician or physicians add one more to the package about a year ago when your symptoms first began? Keep in mind that some drugs interact unfavorably with others, so perhaps a combination of drugs is to blame. Caffeine, alcohol and tobacco products can also be contributors. If you indulge in these products, consider a trial of elimina- tion or cutting back to see whether your symptoms disappear. It would certain- ly be a sad thing to know that chocolate, coffee or soda has provided you with a year of agony. And, at long last, make an appointment with a new otolaryngologist and neu- rologist to help you get to the bottom of the issue. You always have the right to return to your team of physicians, but a second opinion won’t hurt. And you deserve to function normally after what you have been through. If no treatable cause is found, you may benefit from balance retraining by a physical therapist. 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 to Newslet- ter, P.O. Box 167, Wick- liffe, OH 44092-0167. Be sure to mention the title or print an order form off my website at www.AskDr- GottMD.com. 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. For Beautiful Spring Flowers and Delicious Summer Veggies We Recommend...