Letters to the Editor
borinquena
Published Letters: 228 Editor's Choice: 26
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100+ letters on this topic??
[Read the article: The Gen Xers are driving me crazy]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Holy cats. Seriously, people actually identify with these ridiculous categories?
Wow.
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Re: Long Term Care Insurance
[Read the article: How to care for my aging mother?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]if you have the means, buy yourself some long term care insurance so you don't end up causing this problem.
Having LTC insurance helps with some of these issues but not all. My MIL has the insurance but there are still the issues of who will supervise her care, where will she live, who will make end of life decisions (life support, stopping care, etc.). The day to day responsibilities, while lessened, don't go away.
Re: in-home care, it can be better that what has been outlined in some of these letters. My grandmother lived in her own apartment until her death and had a home care attendant she adored. The woman took very good care of her and also provided her with companionship. My uncle who died of AIDS also had a home care attendant and again, this person provided such good care that he was like a member of the family. Definitely explore that option if your mom isn't yet sick enough for a LTC facility.
A final note: my mom was the primary caregiver for my grandmother and while it was incredibly difficult and emotionally draining, my mom doesn't regret it at all. She says that when my grandmother died she felt a sense of peace because she knew she'd done the right thing by her.
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To Still Anonymous in the NW
[Read the article: How to care for my aging mother?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]First, don't feel guilty for how you're feeling. You are in a terribly difficult situation and the fact that it's common doesn't make it any less painful. A couple of suggestions: contact the Department of Aging for your area. Often there are state and local agencies handling these things, so contact both to ensure you get access to all resources available. Tell them exactly what you posted here--they can coach you on how to have the conversation with the relatives and provide advice on how to deal with your husband and your MIL's difficult behavior. Second, please consider private counseling. It's important for you to have support and a safe place to vent your frustrations, as well as someone who can give you the tools to advocate for your needs.
There are also online support groups for caregivers. Try:
http://www.ec-online.net/
http://alzonline.phhp.ufl.edu/
http://www.crisisclinic.org/caregiver4.html
Good luck and know you don't have to go through this alone.
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Typical J-School Angst
[Read the article: I love journalism but I hate asking uncomfortable questions]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]LW, I laughed a little while reading your letter because all j-school students go through this. I remember the first time a source screamed at me and literally had me thrown out of his office. I called my professor crying and his reaction was, "Congratulations. You're a real journalist now."
It gets easier. You may ultimately decide that journalism isn't for you, but it's too soon for you to make that decision. You're new to the field, you're feeling overwhelmed by the pressures and deadlines, learning skills on the fly. There will be a point where you cry--there's a point where every j-student cries. It's normal.
As it turned out, I wasn't suited to journalism long-term for other reasons: the hours, the pay, and the constant stress made it impossible to have a decent personal life. But I'm still using the skills I learned as a science writer for a non-profit, doing it 9-5 at a decent salary--and helping people to boot.
So stick it out. Learn as much as you can. Don't make any decisions until you graduate and have actually worked in the field in a couple of years. And if it turns out it's truly not for you, take your skills to another career where you can still help to change the world for the better.
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Why?
[Read the article: I love journalism but I hate asking uncomfortable questions]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I got into it because I like to learn things and tell stories about what I learn to people who are interested
Me too. And luckily I've been able to continue doing that in my current job, where I interview scientists all day and learn about the latest research, including stem cell research. It's absolutely fascinating and because I'm doing it for a non-profit, I get to contribute to a good cause as well.
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Mel is a sub
[Read the article: "Apocalypto"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This review of The Passion of the Christ was posted to rec.arts.movies.current-films.
http://tinyurl.com/ygu4do
A sample:
"The Passion" strips Jesus of his message, ignores (for the most part)both his humanity and his spirituality, and reduces him to a suffering cipher. In Gibson's hands, Jesus becomes the central figure in a work of blood-soaked homosexual pornography. This film is a two-hour-long BDSM session, with Jesus playing "bottom" for a Jerusalem teeming with ruthless gay Doms...
BDSM explores primeval areas of sexuality and self-worth, and many who feel drawn to the imagery of erotic torture can never acknowledge this attraction on a conscious level. Mel Gibson, obviously, doesn't have the courage to look into this mirror. However, as Father Pierre's ‘nuns' taught me, religion can offer an outlet for the repressed and unacknowledged side of one's sexuality.
Those who've read about BDSM, or spoken to anyone involved with the lifestyle, will recognize the flagellation scene in "Passion" for what it is: A hyperbolized version of the sort of activity that thousands of men and women experience in makeshift "dungeons" across the world, sometimes even paying for the privilege. The punishment we see on screen has little to do with actual Roman justice; forget about the traditional 39 lashes administered by bored soldiers just doing their jobs. The soldiers onscreen here relish their duties with a flagrantly sexual glee...
Now we know why Gibson gave his film a title with an obvious double meaning. Now we know the reason for his well-known discomfort with homosexuality. Now we know why images of torture permeate so many of his films...Yes, Mel, we know. You've been a bad boy. You've been a VERY bad boy.
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Center for Consciousness Studies
[Read the article: If you meet the Buddha in Salon]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The University of Arizona has a Center for Consciousness Studies, and their website has links to abstracts, publications and online courses. More info here: http://www.consciousness.arizona.edu/