Dear Heloise: With the economic downturn, one of my friends got furloughed and another got laid off. What's the difference? — Amy in Pennsylvania Amy, a lay off is typically the end of the line. You've lost your job. Why? An economic recession; the company is not performing well; the ...
DEAR ABBY: In middle school, I had a crush on a boy. He didn't even know I existed. Through a chance meeting many years later, he noticed me, but there were complications. He didn't know how to tell his ex it was too late for her, and it became a love triangle. She saw the error of her ways and ...
I will preface this column with the noted fact that I have absolutely no musical talent. I can read music but I never was one to sit down at the piano and be able to pick up a tune. However, when I was about 13, I had a longing to learn how to play the guitar. As a child growing up in the ...
Dear Heloise: Recently the federal government shut down a fake website that was peddling a cure for COVID-19. In fact, there have been several sites claiming to have a cure. These “cures” are not only ineffective, but in some cases may be dangerous. This disease needs more time and study ...
DEAR ABBY: My wife and I lost our son to suicide a few years ago. We have never gotten over it. I have recovered somewhat and would like to resume having intimate relations, but she’s not that far along. I no longer feel there’s any reason to continue on this earth. There is no point to ...
DEAR ABBY: My friend “Kate” has had a lot of trauma in her life, and she feels things very deeply. She has experienced assault, the suicide of a close friend, the death of several family members, discovered she can’t have children, and managed to escape an abusive relationship, all in ...
Dear Readers: What’s the difference between hand-washing and hand-sanitizing? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/handwashing), hand-washing is done with soap and water, and you are removing all types of dirt and germs from your hands. Hand-sanitizing is ...
Dear Readers: Reporting online identity theft is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Here are the steps according to the Federal Trade Commission’s program www.IdentityTheft.gov: 1. (A) Call the companies where you know the fraud occurred and ask for their fraud department. They can freeze your ...
DEAR ABBY: After many years, my sister and I finally have a decent relationship. I feel I can tell her about almost anything. My brother-in-law, “Aaron,” is an alcoholic, and my sister enables him. When he drinks, his already quick temper becomes worse and he “knows everything.” To ...
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a healthy 79-year-old male. My doctor tells me that my blood pressure and pulse are better than most men half my age. I feel good. I have been taking my temperature about three times a day, using both digital and mercury thermometers, careful to wait at least an hour after ...
DEAR ABBY: I have been in a relationship with my boyfriend for a little over five months. We have enjoyed spending time with each other, but we never have deep, meaningful conversations, and I feel that it’s negatively impacting our relationship. Because of the coronavirus quarantine, we ...
DEAR DR. ROACH: I just read your article that there wasn’t any difference between Synthroid and levothyroxine. I come from a family with severe sensitivities, allergies and asthma. I was started on Synthroid and did well. My insurance decided not to pay for it, so my doctor switched me to ...
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are 58 and getting ready to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. We knew each other in college, but were just friends back then. After college, we married others and raised children. We stayed married to our spouses for close to 30 years. We reconnected eight ...
Today’s Sound On is about beating the boredom of social distancing: Dear Heloise: Everyone seems to be going a little stir-crazy with being indoors so much, but believe it or not, there is so much we can do while we are social distancing: * Start by cleaning out those closets and drawers. ...
DEAR ABBY: My husband has a bad habit of forgetting to lock up our house at night when he’s the last one to come to bed. On nine occasions I have gone downstairs after he’s in bed or awakened in the morning to find our sliding patio door or a garage door unlocked. I cannot understand why ...
Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend some good grocery and/or meal service delivery options for seniors? My 78-year-old mother has always shopped for herself, but since the coronavirus pandemic hit the grocery store shelves are always half empty, and she’s getting more fearful of leaving ...
The world of December 2019 no longer exists. Our lives have been transformed in ways that we could not possibly have imagined. Many would argue, by the way, that the world of 2019 had become irrational, unkind and dysfunctional. Today, those same observers refer to that period-a mere six months ...
DEAR DR. ROACH: Our 44-year-old daughter had an event called VAD, vertebral artery dissection — a tear in an inner artery — which has turned her life upside down. She was very fortunate to have been seen by an emergency room doctor who had heard of VAD and immediately put her on aspirin and ...
DEAR ABBY: A few weeks ago, my husband and I had what I thought was a minor conflict, from which I walked away to avoid escalation. I could hear him continuing to rant, so I pulled up the security camera on my phone and watched and listened as he continued to say horrible things for an hour or ...
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 78-year-old man with severe COPD who is on oxygen 24/7. I use a portable oxygen generator when I need to go to the store or for medical appointments. Does the oxygen protect me from getting virus or flu germs, or is it more likely I will inhale them with the air and ...