Cary, you're way, way off. It is not necessarily narcissistic to want to know where, and who, you come from. Sure, if you're conducting genealogical research simply so you can say you were related to so-and-so, or so you can join an exclusive club like the DAR, it's a little self-serving, but for the vast majority of amateur genealogists, myself included, it's just a desire to know more about our own past. It's a great puzzle to piece together, a great mystery to solve. There's a very rewarding feeling that comes from finding out something interesting about an ancestor, whether he was a farmer or a decorated soldier.

I think other posters here have also made good points about this being a hobby generally of those over 60 years old. As we get closer to our own mortality we may be more inclined to feel a desire or longing for a connection to the past--particularly if we've recently experienced family losses. It's human nature to want to feel connected to something bigger than ourselves, to want to identify your place on the family tree.

Another point is that retired people are most inclined to have the *time* to do this research: up until recently, when online services became available, most records searches had to be done by mail or in person. Because most records offices are open only during business hours, you need to have your days free to go there. I'm only in my 30s, but whenever I've taken a day to visit an archive or records office, I've been the youngest person there by at least 30 years.

Any hobby is unhealthy if it becomes an obsession, and it does sound like the LW's parents may have wandered into this territory, since they evidently can't or won't talk about anything else. But to dismiss them as vain narcissists simply because of their interest in their family history, is unfair and ridiculous.

First of all, I can barely understand Cary's ramblings anymore--they bear so little relevance to the letter writers' questions, that they're pretty much worthless as "advice." I believe this may be the last time I read his column--particularly given that he chose to run this letter, which was beyond insulting to Generation X members like myself.

Secondly, it's unfortunate that the Greatest Generation, of the WWII era, gave birth to the most obnoxious, self-absorbed, holier-than-thou generation of them all. Their parents broke their backs to provide them what they didn't have when they were growing up, being Depression-era folks. But it backfired; too many of these boomers grew up taking for granted so much of what they had been given. Yes, they helped to cause significant social changes. But they've also helped cause so much social and economic upheaval that it ultimately left us, in Generation X, in the lurch. Thanks a lot.

As for Generation Y, in my experience with them (and I have much, at my office), I've found the majority of them to be ultra-snarky, much less "street smart" than Gen Xers, and with a sense of ballsy entitlement that is just mind boggling. But what do you expect--look who their parents are: Boomers.

...if you're going to review television programs, you should probably pay a little more attention while you're watching them, and make sure you're not constantly getting your shows mixed up. Or, if you truly can't be bothered to pay attention, at least have someone else vet your manuscript for egregious errors before submitting it.

Meanwhile I agree with everyone's postings here about the disaster that was the House finale. I'll still continue to watch the show, if only because Hugh Laurie is great eye candy. But the writers seriously need to put more thought and depth into their plots and dialogue. I love the concept of "Sherlock Holmes as Medical Detective" but there's absolutely no substance or context to this show anymore, other than just having House and his minions spouting off medical conditions, symptoms, and diagnostic tests.

What a sad end to a very sad story. One thing that stood out to me, among all the messed up stuff mentioned in this article, is that the Army and the V.A. don't share medical records.

I suppose this shouldn't surprise me given the lack of cross-coordination and information sharing among government services. But now more than ever, you'd think the armed forces and the V.A. would be coordinating efforts to treat the troops coming home, as so many of them are coming home badly hurt, both mentally and physically. These people need and deserve help from as many sources they can get.

It breaks my heart to think that MAYBE, if a system were in place in which the V.A. could have communicated effectively with the Army from the start, Jamie Dean might not have been called back to active service at all, and this tragedy could have been avoided.

But I suppose such a sensible system is too much to hope for.