Dear Doctors: My new doctor always starts talking before I’m finished, and after that it’s hard to get another chance to speak. Sometimes my symptoms get brushed aside like they’re not important.
You’ve seen reports about the unpopularity of the Democratic Party these days – stories with headlines like “Democrats Get Lowest Rating From Voters in 35 Years.” It’s true: Large numbers of voters disapprove of the party and, even though they don’t love Republicans either, trust the GOP more to handle many basic issues.
In 1789, the U.S.
DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband and I recently planned a weekend trip out of town, and we arranged for our children to stay with their aunt, my husband’s sister, while we were away. We thought everything was going well until, halfway through our trip, we received a call from her saying that one of our kids had started acting out. She told us that she doesn’t tolerate that kind of behavior in her home and insisted that we come pick him up immediately.
• Two reasons to shop for groceries from local merchants instead of big-box stores: You’re supporting your local economy, and you’ll likely cut back on single-use plastic. Supermarket chains have a practice of excessively wrapping their fresh produce in single-use plastic. It helps keep produce fresher longer and protects it from the hundreds of customers who handle the perishable products. Local stores are likely to use a lot less plastic, which gives you the option to stock up without the waste.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I’ve been swamped with work. I work in a high-demand environment and have recently been securing a number of new high-end clients. This means early days, late nights and busy lunches. My girlfriend is not happy with how rigorous my work schedule has been these past few months; she’s expressed it to me, but I haven’t had time to do anything about it. Recently, she started filling her time with one of our friends – a guy. It started off mostly as a casual shared dinner here and there, but it’s been a lot more consistent lately, and it has expanded to other activities such as movies, walks and more. I’ve tried expressing that I don’t appreciate how close they’ve gotten, but I don’t have much of a leg to stand on.
John Adams and Samuel Adams are in, but John Quincy Adams isn’t. Alan Shepard and John Glenn are in, but Gus Grissom isn’t. Betsy Ross is in, but Ross Perot isn’t. John Wayne is in, but Wayne Newton isn’t. Andrew Jackson is in, but Michael Jackson and Jackson Pollock aren’t. Henry Ford is there, but Ralph Nader isn’t.
Dear Doctors: I recently watched a video on the positive effects of napping in regard to heart disease. I am 66; I am a lifelong athlete with normal blood pressure and an LDL cholesterol level that is slightly elevated. I’ve been considering a statin and now wonder how napping may affect that decision.
Elections have consequences, and winners set the rules – up to a point. In a healthy democracy, the majority’s power should always be tempered by a decent respect for minority rights. Otherwise, ruthless rulers can subvert the underlying system and entrench themselves as permanent powers.
Ihave never minded getting advice.