Including 12 you can do from home THE GUIDE YOU NEED NOW { PAGE 98 } } Bic to mak baal dione ‘lh Ta) [ty ad, 13 pie your poe snes eT railToday’s Maxwell House gives you flavor without the bitterness. Wh you get our best cup of coffee ev that’s something you can smil aboMICHAEL O'BRIE 98 ns 128 132 142 146 156 160 166 readersdigest.com 3/eo MARCH 2009 FEATURES Your Next JOD cariie canoet ano wicary sTERNE Whatit is, whereit is, and how to get it—smart strategies for navigating the new world of work. five cartoons to make you laugh, even ina recession. His Own Medicine sicitact wacoerce Dr. Eugene Alford had operated on thousands of patients. When an accident left him paralyzed, he learned about healing from the other side. Quick Study: Standardized Tests soseou «. verter Are kids sharpening too many No. 2 pencils? Neighborhood Watch sere cerictizno As foreclosures sweep the nation, crime and decay threaten the suburbs. What you can do to fight blight. Reese’s Rules warcy rocuun The manners and morals of movie-star mom Reese Witherspoon. Jungle Escape steven ovoiey Aremarkable tale of abduction and rescue— and an unlikely friendship. Four Ways of Looking at a Shoe srivcer netson monroe Stepping out, from Argentina to the moon, Man ona Mission cari wv. cannon Rick Warren has been called “America’s pastor.” Now he wants to change the world. ue eae 7DumbThingsWeDo _ Pee as JOSEPH T. HALLINAN And eight ways to ~ mistake-proof your life.DEPARTMENTS 7 React Your letters 11 Make It Matter Meet three readers who are doing good things 15 The Digest saving horses... stalking typos... secrets from your grocer 27 Around the World with One Question what to do with z an extra hour? = 32 Q&A Money expertJeanChatzkysays 2 prosperitycan belearned oavio wochwan 2 39 Heroes Amanandhis water truck 8 gowhere fire engines couldn't soe auooes 3 47 Outrageous! millions ofyourdollars 2 looted in Iraq micHaeL CROWLEY 8 53 Dreamers Lisa Rudes Sandel makes jeans for real women saraH SAFFIAN Ask Laskas Commonsense advice JEANNE MARIE LASKAS 65 @Work office humor 75 Off Base Humor in uniform 76 Our America Anew columnabout what makes our country great cari mM. CANNON 80 Laugh! our favorite jokes dd 83 Health strength-training tips 177 Eater’s Digest Comfort-food recipes 184 Quotes On friendship 187 Word Power Test yourself 189 Puzzler The latest craze:KenKen Fire fighter eit 60 Reeves. 190 Life Ourreaders’ funny true stories 196 LastLaugh readersdigest.com 3/20i fl 7" Ber BERTOLLI OVEN BAKE MEALS. 5 RESTAURANT-QUALITY DISHES Kae | THAT HAVE ITALIAN CHEFS ON EDGE. New Bertolli? Oven Bake Meals™ are restaurant-quality fee cieas: NM Onmn ume cIRe seus nas eck igeeonec teem en ec nonstate Seta tence PeonWhat's Hot aeaciersDigest.com > Save $5,000 on Spring Projects Why hire a contractor if you don’t need to? This spring, spruce up your home—and save big noney doing it! Our online with exclusive content The Family Handyman ‘ine, includes dozens of ourself ideas that could you up to $5,000. Find them ey Go Behind the Scenes How does each issue of this magazine come to- gether? Peggy Northrop = gives an Z insider’s look in her Ve all-new blog. s* . WHAT MATTERS MOST TO YOu? ‘Thousands of you have sent us “Make It Matter” stories, telling us how you and others are giving to your communities and the | You'll get world, Now we want to know: What stories about do you care about most? We're selecting ten our stories, : previews of future issues, plus a chance to tell her what you think, Read it all at readersdigest.com/ peggyblog. 4 readersdigest.com 3jo important causes—from supporting military families to saving the environment—and giving you achance to vote for your favorite. Reader’s Digest will rally behind the winning cause in 2009. Vote today at readersdigest.com/whatmattersmost. ANTOINE VERGLASThis is the day to mark your calendars. April 8th is National Start! Walking Day, the day you're going to beat heart disease. Wear your sneakers. Bring a bottle of water. And walk. And then walk some more. Because for each hour of regular, vigorous exercise you could gain two hours of life expectancy. Visit or text “WALK” to to get your reminder. American Heart Association Learn and Live me Pam piereted IS Service is available on most ¢a TermaCLA make in minutes i cee Metab MeteeM 25. 10 min. Bake Tuna Noodle Casserole 2 cans (1 oz. each) Campt up, milk, peas, tuna and noodles Mushroom Soup (Regular or na3-qi. casserole. 1 cup milk 2. Bake at 400°R for 30 min, or until hot. tit. 2 cups frozen peas 3, Mix bread crumbs with butter and sprinkle 2 cans (about 6 07. each) tuna, drained Py fee ere re POSSIBILITIESPHOTO-ILLUSTRATION BY KEVIN IRBY Memory Lane Je Kita’s article got me excited about continu- ing my own memoir (“The Story of Your Life”). When my husband died five years ago, it was difficult to go from “we” to “me.” I started writing about our relationship, and by delv- ing into our past, I was able to deal with my future. Bettie Miller, Crosslake, Minnesota cs React) ‘Thinking about your legacy? Wondering ow achieves sal esse of Stay My mother jots down family stories—from holidays, vacations, weddings, everyday life— Sun Power so she can leavea legacy for her children and applaud Janice Kamenir- grandchildren. Our family’s history and life Reznik and Jewish World Watch for providing solar cookers to refugees in Darfur (Make It Matter: lessons are set in stone for years of enjoyment. Kaitlyn Spangenberg, Quakertown, Pennsylvania “Here Comes the Sun”). Last sum- will learn about this fascinating mer, my husband and I built a “technology” and actually use it. couple of solar cookers. It’s our way Lisa Murphy, St.ClairShores, Michigan of making a difference—growing an x 9s organic garden, composting, hang- 1 Mind-Boggling ing clothes out to dry. The cookers F: years, some CEOs have been will never replace our oven, but robbing society—sending jobs every time we don't use a limited overseas to cut costs, not producing energy resource, it helps the envi- _goods in a sensible manner—while ronment. I hope more people paying themselves unbelievable We Want to Hear from You! If we publish your letter—whether it’s to comment on our content, sing our praises, or take us to task—you'll receive a free Reader’s Digest book or CD (courtesy of our Books and Music division). Send your submissions to letters@readersdigest.com.sums (Outrageous! “Hall of Shame”). Now these execs are ask- ing Congress to bail them out. If these companies receive taxpayer help, they should be required to pay their CFOs much less. Like many families, mine is struggling to survive financially. Where’s our bailout? Road to Healing he story about the troubled teens who care for unwanted dogs moved me deeply (“Changes of Heart”). I know firsthand what the unconditional love of a dog can mean to someone who feels alone. The dogs remind the kids that they are good people who have worth in the world. These kids (and the dogs) need to feel wanted and loved. I'd say it’s a win-win situation for all. Debbie Arnold, Sacramento, California Scam Escape Ni: son was almost a victim of check fraud, one of the rip-offs you mentioned in “Beat the Cheat.” He received a letter from the fictional State Employers’ Credit Union, along with a check for $3,600. He was supposed to cash the check, keep $300 for his “secret shopper” fees, and then wire the rest back by Western Union. It’s a good thing that he didn’t go through with it. I shredded the let- ter. Thank you for this report and for validating my actions. Anonymous, vialnternet Anne Senk, Salida, California Dear Mr. President Yu “Memo to the President” reminded me of what I have always believed and am grateful for. We have some really smart people in this country, and there are great answers for just about every issue on the president's plate. I did not vote for Obama, but I hope he seeks out smart people and listens to them for the future of the country. Dan Trimble, Indiana, Pennsylvania How to Reach Us >> Letters to the Editor = letters@readersdigest.com ™ React, Reader’s Digest, Box 200, Pleasantville, New York 10572-0200 Include your full name, address, e-mail, and daytime phone number. We may edit letters and use them in all print and electronic media. >> Customer Care Subscriptions, renewals, gifts, address changes, payments, account information, and inquiries: ™ readersdigest.com|help 877-732-4438 ™ Reader’s Digest, Box 7825, Red Oak, lowa 51591-0825 >> Submissions For short humor items, please see page 66. We regret that we cannot accept or acknowledge unsolicited artwork, photo- graphs, or article-length manuscripts. >> Reprints = readersdigest.comft nn (min. 100) Digestoe, — | 101 Ett OUT DIRTY, SMELLY TOILETS 7.” Se I : ge (|The clean is just one reason to love it. Your family is the other. No unnecessary chemicals * No heavy fragrances Non-itritating dyes - No harmful residue left on dishes Love it for all the things that Bren’ t in it. ee) ‘eige s_ © 2009 Colgate-PalmaliveCOURTESY GEOFF WILLIAMS, MD Make It Matter NY Rays of Hope A surgeon repairs faces, an artist leaves smiles around town, and a victim gives others a voice hen plastic surgeon Geoff Williams saves a face, he also saves alife. Training with Taiwanese mentors on a medical mission in Vietnam, he was astounded by the crowd that greeted them in one village: 200 mothers waiting with their children, all with cleft lips or palates. The women mobbed him, pleading for help, as he entered the local hospital. “Tt was as if they were in asinking ship,” Williams recalls, “and we were a lifeboat passing by.” The surgeons could operate on only 25 to 30 chil- dren during their three-day stay. ‘The rest had to be turned away. “It was devastat- ing,” Williams Dr. Geoff Williams, says quietly. with My Anh, a When his plane Vietnamese patient. readersdigest.com 3/09left Vietnam, he vowed to go back. Williams never planned to become a globe-trotting volunteer surgeon. “I thought I'd help these children for acouple of years and get it out of my system.” But that was five years ago. Williams, 53, now works full- time correcting facial deformities in 12 countries, including Mexico, ‘Tanzania, Pakistan, India, the Philip- pines, and Taiwan. He has performed almost 1,000 operations, most of them since he started his Interna- tional Children’s Surgical Foundation (icsfoundation.org)—and he has no plans to stop. His work is literally life-changing, Grin City Unlike starving artists everywhere, Bren Bata- clan, 40, is giving it away. He paints cartoon charac- ters (neither human nor animal), with one big eye and one small one (he has no idea why), in brilliant colors, and he leaves his small canvases around Boston and other cities. And they're free. It all started when Bata- clan moved to Boston from the Midwest to teach computer graphics. After he lost his job, he started painting what are now his signature characters, He sold 49 in two days and wanted to show his grati- tude somehow. But how? Bostonians’ reserved demeanor had bothered him for years. Now he realized the city’s residents were as friendly as Midwesterners—in their own way. It finally came to him: He would give away his artwork and ask just one thing in return. He attached this note and his website address (bataclan .com) to each canvas: “This painting is yours if you Peruvian-born Danit Olivera, for instance, was diagnosed as an infant with facial fibrolipomatosis, a rare deformity. Danit underwent painful treatment that was ultimately inef- fective. Depressed by the stares and insults, she stopped attending school and holed up at home, convinced, she now says, that she'd never awake from “a nightmare that had lasted my entire life.” Williams told the 19-year-old he could help. Now 20, Danit is thrilled to face the world. “[ ama different person,” she says. “Tam happy.” Williams could be earning more than $1 million a year doing tummy promise to smile at ran- dom people more often” It was the beginning of his Smile Project. Bataclan has left his giveaways in 20 states and 20 countries, People who have found his paintings send him notes and pho- tos. The characters make them smile, his fans tell him, and they give them hope. “It’s nice to know that my art really is mak- ing a difference,” he says. Since the economic downturn, Bataclan, who supports himself as a full-time artist, has been attaching a different note to his canvases: “Every- thing will be alright” Kathryn M. Tyranski readersdigest.com 3/0 COURTESY JOSH CAMPBELLtucks, face-lifts, and breast enlarge- ments in the United States. A friend told him he was “throwing away my career, that I can’t change the world.” But he’s never been motivated by money. When he earned $200,000 ayear as a professor at a teaching hospital in Galveston, Texas, Williams lived in an apartment that cost $250 a month. He squirreled away most of his paycheck and now lives off his savings. Because he travels most of the time and is single, he stays with his parents in Boise, Idaho, between missions (and insists on paying them $10 a day). “I'm just not a guy who needs a new wardrobe every year,” he explains. Williams is multiplying his impact by teaching other doctors the nu- ances of his skill. “The Vietnamese mothers drilled something into me: that their children really suffer. Their suffering can be alleviated— but not just by me. My real legacy is that I help to empower doctors and they empower other doctors, so this work has mushroomed into something larger than what any one person can do alone.” andy Matson is making it matter, and your story may appear here. Go to readersdigest.com/ makeitmatter. re) Tell us how you or someone you know Journey of Healing For years after she was raped as a senior in high school, Michele Sigler lived with depression, substance abuse, flashbacks, and nightmares. After her hus- band, Brad, encouraged her to get help five years later, she called the Contact Rape Crisis Center (contact huntington.com) in Hunt- ington, West Virginia, her she says. hometown. It took six months of therapy before she could begin to put the past behind her. Sigler called Contact again three years ago, this time to volunteer. She had a degree in counseling and got still more training to qualify as a victim advocate. Sigler, 36, now works at least two 12-hour shifts a week. “I take the hotline calls, just like when | called. | go with the women to the emergency rooms, and | sit with them during the sex- ual assault exam, the law enforcement questioning, and the polygraph. | go with them to court. ’m the voice of the victim,” Sigler even started earn- ing a nominal salary last year by visiting schools, college campuses, and senior citizen complexes to talk about healthy relation- ships and elder abuse. Last fall, when a 16-year- old girl was raped, Sigler met her at the emergency room, and she continues to talk with the girl about once a week. “She came tome recently to say she hopes one day to help someone the way | helped her,” says Sigler. “For me, that’s what it’s all about.” K.M.T. What cause matters most to you? Vote for your favorite at readers digest.com/whatmattersmost. 3Surprise. It’s lower sodium. Campbell’s* Healthy Request® Soups —all 25 choices — have no MSG‘and our lower sodium natural sea salt added for taste you can actually taste. *Excopt lo the mall amount naturally occuring in yeast extract and hydrolyzed vegetable patel.It doesn’t fit over most sofas, but Sol LeWitt’s artwork still manages to make astatement. Wall Drawing 1152 (top) and Wall Drawing 340 (bottom) electrify the specially renovated space at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams. Take your time: The retrospective is at MASS MoCA for 25 years. readersdigest.com 3/0 15| Every day seems to } bring good news about resveratrol—especially if youre a mouse. The grape extract, found in red wine, is thought to fight cancer and heart immunity and brain so far is in mice). The newest claim: The anti- oxidant may restore the health of individual ally extend life. Human trials are under way, are already taking the supplement. Drink red wine when you eat red meat: The polyphenols in the wine neutralize a compound in the beef associated with arteriosclerosis, diabetes, cancer, and other diseases, reports The Economist. _.. small detail... disease, as well as boost function (the only proof chromosomes and actu- though some researchers Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia, a traditionally Methodist school, has started “religious road trips” for students so they can see what other faiths have to offer. “A rigorous faith is going to serve them well; one of their pastors told Time. “A rigid one is going to break when the first strong wind comes along.” ENERGY Ared fungus discov- ered in Patagonia may ‘one day fuel the world. Montana State Univer- sity researcher Gary Strobel found that it “exhales” diesel-like compounds after a simple meal of common plant fibers. It may be the most convenient biofuel yet. A vast array of state and federal tax credits are now kicking in for home- owners who improve the | energy efficiency of their houses. Depending on where you live, solar panels, wind turbines, wood-pellet stoves, and other energy-efficient measures (even extra insulation) may make you eligible for a tax credit. Check out energy.gov/ taxbreaks htm as well as the links at energy star.gov. readersdigest.com 3/0 ILLUSTRATED BY CHRISTOPH NIEMANNThe Horse Whisperer One Texas rancher fights for unwanted foals ebra Naismith’s motto is simple: “It’s all about the horses.” Since 2002, the founder and owner of Passion Horse Ranch in Joshua, Texas, has rescued more than 30 foals of so-called Premarin horses, saving them from slaughter and giving them the open space and human touch they des- perately need. The foals are born to mares that are kept continually pregnant so their hormone-rich urine can be col- lected and used to make Premarin, a drug that alleviates the symptoms of menopause in women. The foals usually end up being auctioned and killed for food in Europe and Asia. Thousands of foals face slaughter each year, but Naismith, 45, can help only a few. When she hears about a horse in need, she buys and ships it to the ranch, spending anywhere from $500 to $1,500. When it arrives, some of the ranch’s 40 volunteers groom and train it. The horses learn to be calm around humans—‘they’ve never been touched,” says Naismith—so they're ready for new lives on new farms. Of course, she doesn't let just anyone adopt one of her horses. “| am a big woman—six feet tall—and I’m not afraid,” she jokes, “so | think I run off the weirdos.” Naismith watches would-be owners interact with the horse and visits the site where the animal would live, often several times. “Give me the horse, let me fix him, and let me place him,” Debra Naismith says. “Just seeing horses took my breath away when | was younger,” she recalls. Naismith quit her job at a California soft- ware company in 2006, following her college-age daughter to Texas. She bought a four-acre spread south of Fort Worth, and word of the rescue spread (passion horse.com).“I knew | wanted to save horses and live in the country,” she says. “When that horse and that human have that connection,” she adds, “that’s success for me.” Jill Krasny 7= The Digest Ifyou hate crowds and lines, (sto 9 p.m.) or even later. Only 4 percent of shoppers hit the aisles between gp.m.and 8 a.m. Least- crowded day of the week? Wednesday. | THIRTEEN THINGS way back for the fresh milk. Everybody does. are easy to scan. The other ones take an eternity. But if you're willing to wait ... That star fruit has been here a lot longer than the broccol (aiiee turns over more quickly than exotic things. “The more products you ‘likely to buy,” says Marion | Nestle, author of What to Eat. “That’s why the aisles are so long and the milkis usually in the far corner.” Like employees with a ‘good attitude? Shop at chains that are empl | owned, suggest customer- employees havea stake in the profits, it shows in | their attitude. order food at the deli, eat it as they’re shopping, and get rid of the wrappers before they check out. We also call that stealing. | Pm not just selling gro- ceries, (eState! Look high and low—literally—for good values from smaller manu- facturers who can’t afford to stock their products in the eye-level sweet spot. We're marketing to your IKidst001 That'swhy we | put the rainbow-colored cereals and other kiddie catnip at their eye level. ... Your Grocer Won’t Tell You _ ‘Bewary of “specials.” satisfaction surveys. When | with numbers—“8 for When peoplesee signs $10!” “Limit:5 per cus- " tomer”—they buy 30 to | 100 percent more than they otherwise might have. | The baby formula is locked up becaus "Ditto for the coughand | cold medications, smoking- | cessation products, razor "blades, and batteries. Driving your Ferrari to the Piggly Wiggly and want to | avoid shopping-cart dents? You'll end up tossing #2! ‘of what you buy. Sources: Maurice Nizzardo, Former supermarket executive in | Connecticut; David J. Livingston, an industry consultant; Brian Wansink, author of Mindless Eating; and others. Interviews | byAdam Bluestein and Lauren J, Gniazdowski, i More things your i grocer won’t tell | you are at readersdigest JOHN LAMB/PHOTONICA/GETTY IMAGESOTOGRAPHER'S CHOICEJGETTY IMAGES FRASER HAL (AMSTERDAM) Perennial patch is not just for smokers and See eeu anes Ro edaea oko) Alarcce Us. Een avs sree tcealer ecuscie uo tuitinrtenl Gl NRE s color el -veiiterletel aio) It’s in advanced FDA trials and will target diarrhea, then the flu. Col alongs gel See Coat ee ounce Ll wacom Bae Mte ance eaeric PWT ice ma eof Role tS Netherlands is curtailing its red-light district in an attempt to shine up its image, crack Conte escuela cetacean NH ei aaa RO emir eco aie Peo Asi cnoecnie evar fetes eM M rcdir tant tsisy aaa city councilman told the Associated Press. Flight delays. The Route Avail- ability Planning Tool (RAPT), developed at MIT, crunches weather data and helps air-traffic controllers predict speedier routes. A prototype is being tested in New York, says Wired, and has cut delays inthe area by 2300 hours. a Newspapers and libraries. The Fitch credit-ratings firm yas predicts dire consequences and perhaps even default eS] —— —— for newspapers in “several cities.” Eleven of 54 branches of the Free Library of Philadelphia are set to be closed to save money. Aspens in the Rocky Mountains. “Sudden aspen decline” (GAD) may be a result of droughts that have weakened the trees _ and made them more suscep- tible to insects, fungi, and diseases, reports Smithsonian. OF THE MONTH have one, you are illiquid” financial system)” readersdigest.com 3/0 Uliquidity = 1 you owe someone a dollar and you don’t Insolvency =“if you owe someone a dollar and you don’t have one, and if you sold everything that you own and you still wouldn’t have one, you are insolvent. (But as long as you own something that’s hard to put a value on, no one can prove that you’re insolvent. Upon this [foundation] stands the entire Steve Randy Waldman, New York magazine 9THE MONTHLY READER/ MARCH BOOKS The Digest BREMEN rawcete, drenched in ‘sweat, peered into a valley and saw trees shaped like spiders and parachutes and clouds of smoke; waterways threading back and forth for thousands of miles; a jungle canopy so dark it appeared almost black—Amazonia. ‘THE LOST CITY OF 2: A TALE OF DEADLY OBSESSION IN ‘THE AMAZON BY DAVID GRAN (DOUBLEDAY, $27.50) MEMOIR Twenty-two years after my car acci- dent, in the last days of summer 2006, Isat nerv- ously eyeing a physician’s assistant. I had been walking around for weeks with head and neck pain, unable to move my head in any direction ... Staring at my MRI, the assis- tant finally announced, “Your neck is still broken.” ‘THE BODY BROKEN BY LYNNE GREENBERG (RANDOM HOUSE, $25) SHORT STORIES My father’s troubles had started ten years or so ago when his memory started to erode. He lost wallets and sets of keys ... And then last month, he woke up froma two-day nap and couldn’t recognize my stepmother. He called the police. She’d had to show two forms of ID Not to get arrested for trespassing in her own house. EVERYTHING RAVAGED, EVERYTHING BURNED BY WELLSTOWEF (FARRAR, STRAUS, AND GIROUX, $24) 20 Sia lssMle rey Ihave rushed through much of my life as if I were late for an appointment. I have spent decades rumi- nating about the past and the future while skipping over the present ... Even now, when I meditate, I'm tempted to set the timer on 29 minutes instead of 30. ‘SEEKING PEACE: CHRONICLES OF THE WORST BUDDHIST IN THE WORLD BY MARY PIPHER (RIVERHEAD, $25.95) He had a habit of massaging his own arms, as if discreetly assessing their muscularity. And from time to time, when someone else was talking, he raised one leg and swung his arm back in an extravagant mime of throwing a ball. He was either very charming or very irritating: she had not yet decided. ‘THE BELIEVERS BY 208 HELLER (HARPERCOLLINS, $25.95) readersdigest.com 3/0u CORICIDIN” POWERFUL WITH A HE SOME COLD MEDICINES CAN RAISE YOUR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE EVEN HIGHER. CORICIDIN HBP WON'T. S. Epatha Merkerson has high blood pressure. And when she gets e cold, she chooses Coricidin HBP day and night, because it’s specially made to relieve her cold symptoms Riise eta Netlefo ge MMs RU Ce Uae Sar ene ee ere Cee eeBE a [cay = & Dp 0 og Dy eT eS Seta ata Chicago a: eae ™ Rightin Wrong Writing Heroically persnickety typo crusaders set the U.S. straight he scene of the crime: Madison, Wisconsin. Acting on ahot tip, Jeff Deck pulled down his dark fedora and headed to Brennan’s Market with partner Benjamin Herson. “The store was pretty clean.” Deck says, “but then we saw it.” In the fruit section. A crime of omission. Deck and Herson approached a young woman who was making signs. “Excuse me, ma'am,” said Deck, 28, all business. “I'm a professional typo hunter and fixer. The sign for Washington apples is missing an n. It reads ‘Washigton?” She gave the pair the once-over, shrugged, and went back to her signs. “We can fix it ourselves,” Deck said. “I have my typo-correction kit right here.” (Deck carries the kit with him at all times, even to weddings.) “Oh, no. We have a special marker for the signs,” she said. Deck and Herson went off by them- selves and quietly debated changing it without permission—a bold move they don’t like to make unless absolutely nec- essary. (A Los Angeles man threatened to call the police after he caught them adding an apostrophe to a “Cars Will Be Towed at Owners Expense” sign.) They asked another employee, who cheerfully gave them permission to insert the missing n. “It was the classic if-Mom- says-no-ask-Dad move,” Deck says. With his fedora and gritty determina- tion, Deck has been dubbed the Indiana Jones of typos. The founder of the Typo Eradication Advancement League (TEAL), Deck spent much of last year on the 2008 ‘Typo Hunt Across America, a correctional odyssey that has taken him and an assort- readersdigest.com 3/09 ABEL URIBE/CHICAGO TRIBUNEosTO. UPERSTOCK/AGE FOTC ment of friends from coast to coast in a 1997 Nissan, righting wrong writing on signs as srnall as bulletin board notices and as big as billboards. Sleeping in tents or friends-of-friends’ couches, Deck spent the year living on Pop-Tarts and pancakes as he stalked the wild gaffe. Crossing into Arizona from New Mexico, they jumped over a barbed wire fence and ran across an expanse of cactus-strewn scrubland to eliminate the apostrophe in a billboard advising tourists to bring their “camera’s” “That was a big one,” Deck says. “That apostrophe was about the size of my head.” At an Office Depot in Texas, Deck and Herson spotted a number of erroneous signs, all nine feet high. Their friend and host Paula advised them to commandeer a rolling stepladder and change the signs them- selves. “I worked at an Office Depot for five years,” she said. “They won't care.” (They didn’t) Deck was raised in New Hampshire, graduated from Dartmouth with a degree in creative writing, and spent a couple of years in Washington, D.C., at Rocks & Minerals magazine. He realized his true calling at a Dartmouth reunion in 2007. “There were classmates curing cancer, and | was doing nothing” he remembers. “(started thinking about how | could change the world in my humble way.” Deck never contemplated a life of ARGUMENT STARTER | Drug.use and sexually transmitted diseases among American teenagers persist at_ | “4 started thinking about how | could change the world in crime, though. At the Grand Canyon, he and Herson corrected a folksy-looking sign, adding a comma and changing womens’ to women’s. (Miraculously, they resisted the urge to fix emense.) The National Park Service was not impressed. It turned out the sign was created in the 19308 by a celebrated architect (and lousy speller). Though nothing indicated the sign’s historic importance, the government pressed charges. Deck and Herson agreed to pay $3,035 to restore the sign and to stay out of national parks fora year. Forbidden from discussing the details of the case until August, the good-guy grammar outlaws will likely be back. And they're hopeful. After all, grammar and spelling are just one way to look at the world, Deck says, and “America is lax about only a few points.” Lance Contrucei } alarming rates. And U.S. teens aren’t the scholars some of their international peers i are. “We have to end adolescence as a social experiment,” Newt Gingrich writes in BusinessWeek. “We tried it. It failed. It’s time to move on ... Chil- dren rapidly assuming the roles and responsibilities of adults would yield enormous benefit to society.” Students who finish high school a year or two early, the former | House Speaker says, should qualify for a year or two of free college tuition. 23The Digest Jim Lehrer anchors The NewsHour “Pm always f " with Jim Lehrer (PBS) and has amazedwhen written 18 novels, two memoirs, people saythey & and three plays. And in his ontheriPod po spare time .. think, Why? : lappreciate 4E? UG Oh, Johnny (Random House, $25), his novel about a young Marine in 1944.“On his way to war, Johnny has a‘situation’ with the most beautiful, wonderful girl he’s ever seen. It changes his life.” classical music, butit’s not a big part of my life, lamalways listening to books on tape. ’m about to begin Jon Meacham’s new bioof Andrew Jackson, American Lion” WHERE HE’S SURFING Serene Ea ea aang cy fa and aN Cl aa RE Ue Concer amulc usc anuelad ete cates clad teusuries Diets geen tee iste Bicteeincme ean a teed ea > “Home by Marilynne Robinson, “Ilove all the Mystery! serieson ; setin small-town lowa. Shewrites = PBS, including Poirot.Mywifeand | about the simple things that are ~ Ijust love those people.I’m ahuge the most complicated of all within fan of The Sopranos, Mad Men, and the human spirit. Her characters Law & Order. The writing and are so alive and real; there’sa actingon Friday Night Lightsis | poetry toher superb. Theseare seriously; prose. just fin- 2 drawnstoriesabouthigh | ished The Spies school footballinsmall- | of Warsaw, Alan | town Texas and the dilem- Furst’s terrific mas these kids have. It’s novel set in pre- very gripping. Ofcourse, | World War ll.” ALAN Pm from Texas, so Interview by FURST that’s part of it.” i Maureen Mackey readersdigest.com 3/09 TURES/GETTY IMAGES; (POIROT) BBC/PHOTOFEST DON PERDUE, (VICLIN) ©. Lo! GFFICE) ROBERT SHERBOW/TIME & LIFE tsusan. komen race r= PPE CLIC, | aa citer cet ae OO GRD ARF ve 85¢ of every dollar spent by Susan G. Komen for the Cure” goes toward treating and curing breast cancer. So, please, join in the Komen Race for the Cure. To find a race near you, call 1-877 GO KOMEN or visit komen.org/rd. 2009 Susan G. Komen for the Cure’ We’re on a mission.Could Digestive Advantage’ be your best friend? If you have IBS, the answer may be yes. Digestive Advantage” Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a friendly probiotic for the dietary management of IBS-related symptoms. And that’s a good thing. Because it’s safe, natural, and as part of a balanced diet, Digestive Advantage® could be just what you need. Digestive Advantage is a Medical Food product that is intended for se under the supervision of a physician. It isnot a cure, nor isit intended toreplace any medications that were prescribed by a physician. Available in over 40,000 retail outlets nationwide including Walgreens, CVS/pharmacy, Rite Aid, Meijer, Kmart, Target and discount supercenters. A friend indeed (©2003 Ganeden Biotech Inc. AllRights Reserved.JASON LEE ILLUSTRATED By Around the WV. rid QUESTION What Would You Do with an Extra Hour? Family time trumped exercise, work, and sleep as the activity most people would like to cram into a 25-hour day, according to this month’s global snap survey. A full half of all Spaniards polled craved time with their nearest and dearest, followed by Brazilians, Canadians, and Brits. Only in India did work top the list, which makes us wonder, Is this why so many jobs are migrating there? Elsewhere, extending the workday ranked a distant fourth: Less than 10 percent in the U.S., U.K., and Brazil would punch out any later. en) 2 =~» gn & = F « w w f ’ 3 a ‘me OG = m rng 50% 46 43 41% 3 ‘SPAIN BRAZIL. CANADA nae TURKEY ITALY KINGDOM eoeee ay, 42 37 36 34 9 70 SOUTH UNITED AUSTRALIA RUSSIA 50% AFRICA STATES INDIA GERMANY ‘See the complete findings—and suggest questions to ask next— at readersdigest.com/worldquestions. readersdigest.com 3/0 27Actonel Once-a-Month Actonel is clinically proven to help reverse bone loss and can help increase bone strength to help prevent fractures. Aotonel is a prescription medication to treat and prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis. Important Safety Information for Actonel” (risedronate sodium) tablets. You should not take Actonel if you are allergic to any of the ingredients, if you have low blood calcium (hypocalcemia), have kidneys that work poorly, or cannot stand or sit upright for 30 minutes. Stop taking Actonel and tell your doctor right away if you experience difficult or painful swallowing, chest pain, or severe or continuing heartburn, as these may be signs of serious upper digestive problems. Follow dosing instructions carefully to lower the chance of these events occurring. Side effects May include stomach pain, upset stomach, or back, muscle, bone or joint pain, sometimes severe. Contact your doctor for medical advice about side effects, or if you have questions about Actonel. Promptly tell your doctor if you develop dental problems; there have been rare reports of jaw problems. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA Visit www.fda. gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see Actonel Patient Information on the following page. —||— Actonelcom —_1-877 Actonel Actonel (“isedronete sodium) tablets Once-a-MonthPatient Information: ACTONEL® (AK-toh-nel) Tablets ACTONEL (risedronate sodium) tablets 5 mg, ACTONEL (risedronate sodium) tablets 35 mg, ACTONEL (risedronate sodium) tablets 75 mg, and AGTONEL (risedronate sodium) tablets 150 mg for Osteoporosis. Read this information carefully before you start to use your medicine, Read the information you get every time you get more mecicine. There may be new information. This information does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider about your medical condition or your treatment. If you have any questions or are not sure about something, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. What is the most important information| should know about ACTONEL? ACTONEL may cause problems in your stomach and esophagus (the tube that connects the mouth and the stomach), such as trouble swallowing (dysphagia), heartburn (esophagitis), and ulcers. You might feel pain in your bones, joints, or muscles (See “What are the Possible Side Effects of ACTONEL?") You must follow the instructions exactly for ACTONEL ‘to work and to lower the chance of serious side effects. (See ‘How should Itake ACTONEL?”), What is ACTONEL? ACTONEL is a prescription medicine used: © to prevent and treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal, women. * to increase bone mass in men with osteoporosis. * to prevent and treat osteoporosis in men and women that is caused by treatment with steroid medicines such as prednisone. * to treat Paget's disease of bone in men and women. ‘The treatment for Paget's disease is very different than for osteoporosis and uses a different dose of ACTONEL. This leaflet does not cover using ACTONEL for Paget's disease. If you have Paget's disease, ask your healthcare provider how to use ACTONEL. ACTONEL may reverse bone loss by stopping more loss of bone and increasing bone strength in most people who ‘take it, even though they won't be able to see or feel a difference. ACTONEL helps lower the risk of breaking bones (fractures). Your healthcare provider may measure the thickness (density) of your bones or do other tests to check your progress, Who should not take ACTONEL? Do not take ACTONEL if you: * have low biood calcium (hypocalcemia) * cannot sit or stand up for 30 minutes ‘+ have kidneys that work poorly + have an allergy to ACTONEL. The active ingredient in ACTONEL is risedronate sodium. (See the end ot this leatlet fora list of all the ingredients in ACTONEL.) Tell your doctor before using ACTONEL if: ‘* you are pregnant or may become pregnant. We do not know if ACTONEL can harm your unborn chi. '* you are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed. We do not know if ACTONEL can pass through your milk and if it can harm your baby. © you have kidney problems. ACTONEL may not be right for you. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. ACTONEL can interact with other medicines. Keep a lst of all the medicines you take. Show it to all your healthcare providers, including your dentist and pharmacist, each time you get anew medicine. How should | take ACTONEL? The following instructions apply to all patients taking ACTONEL: + Take ACTONEL exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. * Take ACTONEL first thing in the moming before you eat or drink anything except plain water. ‘+ Take ACTONEL while you are sitting up or standing, © Take ACTONEL with 6 to 8 ounces (about 1 cup) of plain water. Do not take it with any other drink besides plain water. * Swallow ACTONEL whole. Do not chew the tablet or keep it in your mouth to mett or dissolve. ‘After taking ACTONEL you must wait at least 30 minutes BEFORE: ‘lying down. You may sit, stand, or do normal activities like read the newspaper or take a walk. + eating or drinking anything except plain water. * taking vitamins, calcium, or antacids. Take vitamins, Calcium, and antacids at a different time of the day from when you take ACTONEL. * Koop taking ACTONEL for as long as your healthcare provider tells you. ‘+ For ACTONEL to treat your osteoporosis or Kee you from getting osteoporosis, you have to take it exactly as prescribed «= If you miss a dose of ACTONEL, call your healthcare provider for instructions * Ifyou take more than your prescribed dose of ACTONEL, call your healthcare provider right away. Your healthcare provider may tell you to take calcium and vitamin D supplements and to exercise. What is my ACTONEL schedule? ACTONEL tablets are made in 4 different dosages (amounts). How often you should take your tablet depends upon the dosage that your doctor has prescribed (recommended) for you. ‘+ 5 mg tablets are yellow. One tablet should be taken every day in the morning,‘* 351mg tablets are orange. One tablet should be taken ‘once a week in the morning. ‘+ 751mg tablets are pink. One tablet should be taken in the morning two days in a row every month, + 150mg tablets are blue. One tablet should be taken ‘once a month in the morning. Ifyou miss your dose in the morning, do not take it later in the day. You should call your heaithcare provider for instructions. What should I avoid while taking AGTONEL? + Donot eat or drink anything except water before you take ACTONEL and for at least 30 minutes after you take it. (See “How should | take ACTONEL?") * Donot lie down for at least 30 minutes after you take ACTONEL. ‘* Foods and some vitamin supplements and medicines ‘can stop your body from absorbing (using) ACTONEL. Therefore, do not take anything other than plain water at ‘or near the time you take AGTONEL. What aro the possible side offects of ACTONEL? Stop taking ACTONEL and tell your healthcare provider right away if: ‘swallowing is difficutt or painful ‘you have chest pain ‘+ you have very bad heartburn or it doesn't get better Possible serious side effects may include: ‘ esophagus or stomach problems, including ulcers, pain, or trouble swallowing. Tell your healthcare provider if you have pain or discomfort in your stomach or esophagus. * low calcium and other mineral disturbances. If you already have one (or more) of these problems, it should be corrected before taking ACTONEL. © pain in bones, joints or muscles, sometimes severe. Pain may start as soon as one day or up to several months after starting ACTONEL. + jaw-bone problems in some people, which may include infection and slower healing after teeth are pulled Tell your healthcare providers, including your dentist, right away if you have these symptoms. Common side effects include the following: back and joint pain ‘© upset stomach and abdominal (stomach area) pain ‘+ short-lasting, mild flu-like symptoms, which are reported with the monthly doses and usuelly get better after the first dose. Other possible side effects may incude: * Allergic and severe skin reactions. Tell your healthcare provider if you develop any symptoms of an allergic reaction including: rash (with or without blisters), hives, or swelling ofthe face, lips, tongue, or throat. Get medical help right away if you have trouble breathing ot swallowing. «Eye inflammation. Tell you healthcare provider if you get any eye pain, redness, or i your eyes become more sensitive to light. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. How should | store ACTONEL? « Store ACTONEL between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C). + Keep ACTONEL and all medicines out of the reach of children. General information about ACTONEL: Medicines are sometimes prescribed for conditions that are not mentioned in patient information leaflets. Do not use ACTONEL for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give ACTONEL to other people, even if they have the same symptoms you heve. It may harm them. What if | have other questions about AGTONEL? This leatlet summarizes the most important information about ACTONEL for osteoporosis. If you have more: questions about ACTONEL, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. They can give you information written for healthcare professionals. For more information, call 1-877-ACTONEL (toll-free) or visit our web site at www.actonel.com. What are the ingredients of ACTONEL? ACTONEL (active ingredient): risedronate sodium. ACTONEL (inactive ingredients): All dose strengths contain: crospovidone, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hypromellose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol, silicon dioxide, and titanium dioxide. Dose-strength specific ingredients include: 5 mg—ferric oxide yellow, lactose monohydrate; 30 mg—lactose monohydrate; 35 mg—ferric oxide red, ferric oxide yellow, lactose monohydrate; 75 mg—ferric oxide red; 150 mo— FDSC blue #2 aluminum lake. ACTONEL® is marketed by’ Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Gincinnati, Ohio 45202 and sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC Bridgewater, NJ 08807 APRIL 2008 P&G Pharmaceuticals The Alliance for Better Bone Health sanofi aventis. ©2008 Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals, Inc.Fortune Teller In her new book, money guru Jean Chatzky insists that prosperity is a habit—one you can learn even now ey pavin HocHman ou won't catch Jean Chatzky sighing about America’s economic woes. “For me, falling markets are a call to action,” she says. Whether she’s attacking debt on Oprah or extolling the joys of underspending in books like Make Money, Not Excuses, Chatzky, 44, insists prosperity is always an option. In her new book, The Difference (Crown Business), Chatzky consid- ers why some people are rich and why, well, most of us are not. “The question wasn’t why Warren Buffett succeeds as much as why certain people—our boss, the guy next door—seem to tap into money almost effortlessly. What practical lessons can be learned from them?” Chatzky commissioned a study of 5,000 individuals and uncovered four distinct money types: the wealthy, the financially comfortable, the paycheck-to-paychecks, and the further-in-debtors. So what’s the difference dividing rich from poor? ‘The wealthy possess traits like opti- 32 mism, resilience, grit, and curiosity, as well as habits like reading every day and expressing gratitude. “The good news is, everyone can learn to do these things.” Born in Detroit, Chatzky grew up “not wealthy but financially stable” and is now a mom with two kids living in Westchester County, New York. The research was a revelation even to her. “It’s opened a world of new possibilities to me,” she says. “Perhaps that’s why, even in a bad economy, 2008 was my best year financially.” Q. You write that even people who are deeply in debt can become wealthy in ten years or less. What's the first step? A. Taking control of spending, The single fastest way to fall from financial security is spending more than you earn. So start living on less than you \ make. Track your spending— every cent—for a month. readersdigest.com 3/09y “Optimism is a wealth magnet,” says Chatzky.‘Then review your notes to see where you can make cuts. It shocked me how much the further-in-debtors are spending on entertainment, which I see as an unnecessary expense. Another way is to locate a mentor, someone who can offer advice and honest feedback. The Open your financial statements! You have to. You need to know where your money is. simple act of taking this initiative is a motivating force. Q. What are people who understand “the difference” doing right today? A. They’re looking toward tomor- row. Even people happy in their jobs today understand that things are changing in every profession and that they might not be secure tomor- row. They’re looking for jobs now— and not just on the Internet. Jobs are still acquired through people, someone who knows someone who knows someone. And just to be clear: There are lots of jobs in health care, energy, the government, and elsewhere. Lastly, these people are saving like crazy. Now is not the time to buy that 42-inch flat-screen TV if you can’t afford it. Q. Is there anything the current financial crisis teaches us? A. The Bernard Madoff scandal [the 34 Wall Street investor charged with swindling his clients in a large-scale Ponzi scheme] shows that even someone you think is completely trustworthy needs to be watched if he or she is managing your nest egg. It’s amazing to me—people who had millions of dollars with Madoff hadn’t met him. The lesson is: Go and meet the people dealing with your money. Develop an ongoing relationship with them; hold them accountable. Ask questions if you don’t understand something. If you still don’t understand, ask again. ‘The other thing is: Open your financial statements! I get calls all the time from people on my radio show telling me, “I can’t open my statement.” You have to. You need to know where your money is. Face up to your finances even if they’re ugly. Q. Can a poor person really learn to be as optimistic as a millionaire? A. Absolutely. Try this simple exer- cise: For the next three days, notice and write down five good things happening in your world. It might be that the trees are especially beau- tiful this spring day, or that your child’s teacher told you that your kid has really nice manners. After three days, you'll see that good things are part of a pattern in your life. You'll notice more good things, and that perpetuates the pattern. This will make you more optimistic, and opti- readersdigest.com 3/00mism is a wealth magnet. Study after study shows that people with faith in themselves and in the future get more jobs and keep more jobs. They save for tomorrow rather than spend for today because they're con- vinced there will be a tomorrow. Q. You include a lot of exercises in your book. What are some others we should try? A. Most of them come from conver- sations I’ve had with academics who spend their days dissecting risk tak- ing, gratitude, and resilience, qualities that the wealthy seem to have. The exercises are valuable because they help make changes real and they give you a goal and focus. Most involve keeping a journal or asking yourself challenging questions. One that’s really valuable is writing about your- self in the third person. New research shows that when you write about yourself as “he” or “she,” it takes away some of the self-consciousness. You can see if you're emphasizing positive or negative attributes and understand how others see you. From there, you can start to make changes. Q. You say that playing Sudoku can make you wealthy. How so? A. It keeps your brain agile. Word puzzles, number games, brain- teasers—they all help stimulate the growth of nerve cells, which makes your mind sharper over time. Having more mental clarity makes you a more flexible thinker, and that’s essential for wealth. It’s also important to do things that put you in a good mood. Alice Isen, a professor of psychology at Cornell, found that subjects in a positive mood were much better at the sort of flexible thinking and prob- lem solving associated with wealth. Q. Were you the girl in fifth grade making a fortune at lemonade stands and reading the stock pages? A. I was an avid saver. My father was a college professor. My mother worked on and off, and when she was working, she was teaching. But my parents definitely did it right. For instance, if we went on vacation and I wanted a souvenir, I'd have to come up with the money myself. That gave me a strong work ethic and taught me to take care of my money. Q. Did you change any of your own money habits while writing this book? A. Yes. I'm keeping a journal now. T didn't before. The research being done by psychologist Bob Emmons on gratitude made a difference. His idea is that grateful individuals lead happier, more successful lives. I’m a pretty optimistic person, but being in and around New York City, I some- times get cranky. Bob got me to ap- preciate the everyday more—to stop comparing, to do things for others, to use visual cues to trigger me, like the sign I put up in my house that says “Breathe.” In this economy, it’s some- thing everyone needs to remember. Use our budgeting tools and savings calculators—and buy Jean Chatzky’s book—at readersdigest.com/moneyhelp. 35Cee ee UAE Deal Se ee Important Safety Information About Insulin eh ee ae MEL Pavel lee) Lele Re Cela RU 1e- le Old el injection site reactions, and allergic reactions, including itching and rash. Tell your doctor about all other medicines and supplements you are taking because they could change the way insulin works. Glucose CATO Meola nls eel em Tenn lee SOME RMe eC Rn asec ers iced eon nteun nt cnn gr ae) Weis CECE eae PCR veils eoame me Bes] 00 eg 8). 16)tomPOEL aa a SINCE 2003 abide iN Taisy Cag Sa RLS MR ea MO eee le ld Pegs hOn encom ee eoa tenure Cte ole toluene MA UCU LAL eet ne OL RL te DL eer Ce eC Ren ak Mut acy Th vented RU scl eel Soleo ROMO LRA RL geet nia tae ene ies MY ADVICE: Aa Re oleae lest stele eT eS e (OU Iwish | had started it earlier. If your blood sugar’s not Coola fell Tet eH N iG ORC aco el8 te LoCo) Pnemecaust ister Cm nein the enemy—it may be the answer you're looking for. SALE Ve CATS DSN UaTTagt) ST Call 1-800-862-9131 or Mae Tr Roa) Sm eMC eure Ee hae ele ey Meal Planning Guide. SES tery Taunus SINR EACYour daughter wants to enlist in the Military. You want her to go to college: Is this the end of the conversation? Or the beginning? IT'S A BIG DECISION. TALK ABOUT IT. TODAYSMILITARY.COM sa once ‘ast auato “AGI “ARO “RESERVEPHOTOGRAPHED BY VERN EVANS Cn Re ey DT se Fire engines couldn’t reach all of Blue Ridge Drive. But luckily for his neighbors, one man and his truck were on the scene. sy soe rHoves t had become something of a Ana winds kicked up, which they joke over the years among the _do every fall, Jeff Reeves would residents on Blue Ridge Drive, a __go dashing off to the equipment swath of manicured suburbia carved __ yard of his construction company into the scrub-brush brown canyons and get the 2,250-gallon water truck of Yorba Linda, California. When- he uses to keep concrete moist at ever the hot, dry, fire-fanning Santa —_ work sites. He’d park it in front of readersdigest.com 3/09 39his house, the side sprayers and the high-pressure water cannon primed and ready to go. “I can empty 2,250 gallons in five minutes and fill it up again five min- utes after that,” says Reeves, 49, a “That water truck can go 83 miles an hour,” Reeves says. “And that’s how fast I was going.” blue-collar, no-airs kind of guy, par- tial to sleeveless T-shirts and white plastic sunglasses. “And it only cost me $60,000. Fire engines cost half a million bucks.” The neighbors liked to tease him about it, but Reeves was certain they secretly felt better having the truck, with its faded American flag decals, sitting by the curb. They knew, as he did, that sooner or later one of the wildfires that whip through northern Orange County could be carried by the winds to their doorsteps. But on the blue-sky Saturday morning of November 15, Reeves hadn’t bothered to re- trieve his truck. There had been fires in the region, but not close to Yorba Linda. He went to coach his youngest son’s soccer team, fire the furthest thing from his mind. It was 9:40, the game almost over, when he saw the first distant wispsof smoke, too far away to seem like much of a threat but visible enough that he called his older sons at home. ‘They told him everything was fine. At a little after ten, he dropped off his wife, Laurie, and their youngest son at the house and decided to go get his truck. Just to be safe. By 10:15, everything had changed. ‘As Reeves was driving the truck back from the equipment yard, Laurie called his cell phone. She was fran- tic. The neighborhood was being evacuated. “That water truck can go 83 miles an hour,” Reeves says. “And that’s how fast I was going.” A fire, unnoticed until it was too late, had roared up the canyon, blow- ing embers and smoke in 70 mph gusts, a massive billowing firestorm that one neighbor said “looked like a tidal wave.” A house across the street and two doors down went up like a struck match. Over the phone, Reeves told his wife to put the boys in the car and go. Then he got a call from a friend, Sam Easterday, who owned a fire hose and a water pump and offered to come help. By 10:30, Reeves was home, the truck hooked up toa fire hydrant and spraying water onto the burgeoning flames. Easterday put his pump in the backyard pool. ‘Together, the men doused everything within reach. “I kept waiting for the cavalry to come,” Reeves would say later. “But they never did.” The fire engines couldn’t make it to all the houses Cleaning made simple. With Pledge” Multi-Surface, you can clean more, faster. That's the beauty of Pledge’ pledge.com fy io ea Surfaceon Blue Ridge Drive. There were too many other fires in too many other places. Around 11:30, Sam Easterday got acall from his wife saying that his neighborhood was also being evacu- ated. By the time he got there, de- layed by roadblocks and traffic jams, his home had burned to the ground. While his family was safe, everything he owned was gone. “We lost our baby books, our wedding pictures, my grandfather's stamp collection,” Easterday says. Reeves, now alone, kept working, driving up and down his and adja- cent streets, saturating as many homes and yards as possible, firing the water cannon onto flaming trees and spraying floating embers, which filled the air like glowing red snow- flakes. He stopped only long enough to refill the tank at fire hydrants, which he did 49 times. He worked until five o’clock the next morning, nearly 19 hours straight. “By the end of the night, he had battalion chiefs calling him, asking if he could get to houses they couldn’t,” says Reeves’s next-door neighbor Randy Bremer, who returned to the neighborhood in midafternoon and joined Reeves in his truck. “Around two in the morning, I was exhausted and came in the house to take a break,” Bremer recalls. “I got out of the shower and I heard that truck. I couldn’t believe it, but he was going out again.” “Tm not buying the hero thing,” Reeves said a week after the fire— his doorbell still ringing as grateful neighbors brought him fruitcakes and chocolates—*'cause I was never in any real danger. I was sitting in front of 2,200 gallons of water. I knew I'd be fine.” A couple of weeks after the fire, Reeves and his construction crews had torn down the charred remains of Easterday’s house and cleared the lot in preparation for the new home that he will build. As for the truck, Reeves had taken it up and down Blue Ridge Drive to wash away as much ash as he could. Then he parked it in front of his house. This time, nobody laughed. REVERSE COMMUTE Recently, my husband put his car in reverse and droveit into a wall. He took it to his mechanic, who replaced the dented bumper. Days later, he did it again. “Pm so embarrassed,” he moaned, reaching for the phone. “Why not tell him it was me this time?” | suggested. “Maybe | will,” he said, dialing, “It worked the last Carol Midwood time.” readersdigest.com 3/0 FILLERS ILLUSTRATED BY NIGEL BUCHANAN.What heals me? A beautiful afternoon. Time with friends. And, for acid reflux damage, My NEXIUM. Ask your doctor about NEXIUM, the Healing Purple Pill. Ifyou suffer from persistent heartbum 2 or more days a week, despite treatment and changing your diet, it may be acid reflux disease. The rising stomach acid causing heartbum pain can, over time, erode (wear away) the lining of the esophagus. About 1 in 3 people with acid reflux disease may have ‘which can only be diagnosed by your doctor. One prescription NEXIUM pill a day, along with diet and lifestyle changes, can provide 24-hour heartburn relief. And for many, NEXIUM can help heal erosions in the esophagus. Most erosions heal in 4 to 8 weeks. Your results with NEXIUM may vary. werage and can He 0 help. afford your ‘this condition, known as erosive esophagitis, Talk to your doctor about your symptoms and find out if NEXIUM is right for you, NEXIUM has a low occurrence of side effects, which include headache, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Symptom relief does not rule out other serious stomach conditions. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please read the important Product Information about NEXIUM on the adjacent page and discuss tt with your doctor. Visit www.purplepill.com/heal or call 1-877-56-NEXIUM. (esomeprazole magnesium) AstraZeneca 2IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT NEXIUM Please read this summary carefully and then ask your doctor about NEXIUM. No advertisement can provide all the information needed to determine if a drug is right for you. This advertisement does not take the place of careful discussions with your doctor. Only your doctor has the training to weigh the risks and benefits of a prescription drug. WHAT IS NEXIUM? NEXIUM is a prescription medicine called a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). NEXIUM is used in adults: Lo treat the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). NEXIUM may also be prescribed to heal acid-related damage to the lining of the esophagus (erosive esophagitis), and to help continue this healing GERDis a chronic condition (lasts a long time) that occurs when acid from the stomach backs up into the esophagus (food pipe) causing symptoms, such as heartburn, or damage to the lining of the esophagus. Common symptoms include frequent heartburn that will not go away, a sour or bitter taste in the mouth, and difficulty swallowing. Wi to reduce the risk of stomach ulcers in some people taking pain medicines called non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Wi to treat a stomach infection (Helicobacter pylori), along with the antibiotics amoxicillin and clarithromycin. @ for the long-term treatment of Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome. Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome is a rare condition in which the stomach produces a more than normal amount of acid. For children and adolescents 1 to 17 years of age, NEXIUM may be prescribed for short-term ‘treatment of GERD. NEXIUM has not been shown to be safe and effective in children under the age of 1. Visit www. purplepill.com. Or, call the Information Center at AstraZeneca toll-free at 1-800-236-9933. WHO SHOULD NOT TAKE NEXIUM? Do not take NEXIUM if you: are allergic to any of the ingredients in NEXIUM. See the end of this leaflet for a complete list of ingredients in NEXIUM. Ware allergic to any other Proton Pump Inhibitor (PP!) medicine. WHAT SHOULD | TELL MY DOCTOR BEFORE TAKING NEXIUM? Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you: Wi have liver problems @ are pregnant, think you may be pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant. Wi are breastfeeding or planning to breastieed. Talk with your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take NEXIUM, Tell your doctor about all of the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription drugs, vitamins and herbal supplements. NEXIUM may affect how other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how NEXIUM works. Especially tell your doctor if you take: |W warfarin (COUMADIN) @ ketoconazole (NIZORAL) 1 voriconazole (VFEND) @ atazanavir (REYATAZ) 1 products that contain iron W digoxin (LANOXIN, LANOXICAPS) continued Nexium: (esomeprazolemagnesiun) A Astrazeneca 2 ——| HOW SHOULD | TAKE NEXIUM? Wi Take NEXIUM exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not change your dose or stop NEXIUM without talking to your doctor. i Take NEXIUM at least 1 hour before a meal, @ Swallow NEXIUM capsules whole. Never chew or crush NEXIUM. Ifyou have difficulty swallowing NEXIUM capsules, you may open the capsule and empty the contents into a tablespoon of applesauce Be sure to swallow the applesauce right away. Do not store it for later use. If you forget to take a dose of NEXIUM, take it as soon as you remember, If it is almost time for your next dose, do not take the missed dose. Take the next dose on time. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed dose. If you take too much NEXIUM, tell your doctor right away. WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF NEXIUM? The most common side effects with NEXIUM may include: Wm Headache Nausea Abdominal pain Dry mouth Tell your doctor about any side effects that bother you or that do not go away. These are not all the possible side effects with NEXIUM. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about side effects. HOW SHOULD | STORE NEXIUM? i Store NEXIUM at room temperature between 59°F to 86°F (15°C to 30°C). Wi Keep the container of NEXIUM closed tightly. Keep NEXIUM and all medicines out of the reach of children. @ Diarrhea as @ Constipation Vist wor purplepi com. Of cal the norman Centr at AstraZeneca toll-free at 1-800-236-9933. GENERAL ADVICE Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in the Patient Information leaflet. Do not use NEXIUM for a condition for which it was not prescribed, Do not give NEXIUM to other people, even if they have the same symptoms you have. it may harm them. This Patient Information leaflet provides a summary of the most important information about NEXIUM. For more information, ask your doctor. You can ask your doctor or pharmacist for information that is written for healthcare professionals. For more information, go to wwnw.purplepill.com or call toll free 1-800-463-9486. WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS IN NEXIUM? ‘Active ingredient: esomeprazole magnesium trihydrate Inactive ingredients in NEXIUM Delayed-Release Capsules (including the capsule shells): glyceryl monostearate 40-55, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hypromellose, magnesium stearate, methacrylic acid copolymer type C, polysorbate 80, sugar spheres, talc, triethyl citrate, gelatin, FD&C Blue #1, FD&C Red #40, D&C Red #28, titanium dioxide, shellac, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, propylene glycol, sodium hydroxide, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, and D&C Yellow #10. Inactive granules in NEXIUM Delayed-Release Oral Suspension: dextrose, xanthan gum, crospovidone, Citric acid, iron oxide, and hydroxypropyl cellulose. NOTE: This summary provides important information about NEXIUM. For more infor- mation, please ask your health care professional or doctor about the full prescribing information and discuss it with him or her. NEXIUM i registered trademark ofthe Astrazeneca group of compans, Oe randvames are traders ofthe respectne companies. (©2008 AstaZeneca Parmacedicals LP. Al gts reserved. ‘AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Wimington, DE 19850 Rev. 0208 261496 Nexium: (someprazolemagnesiun) A Astrazeneca 2 ——Cet di em eda Tate It's so easy { Like millions of other baby boomers, [like to spend time with my Reena ea MCL ce - DCR ) LYRICA is a prescription medicine used to treat: + Nerve pain from diabetes and nerve pain that continucs after the rash from shingles heals This pain can be sharp or burning. It can feel like tingling, shooting, or numbness. + Fibromyalgia, a condition which includes widespread muscle pain and difficulty performing daily activities Some people taking LYRICA had less pain by the end of the first week. LYRICA may not work for everyone. ( WHO IS LYRICA FOR? >) + Adults 18 years or older with Fibromyalgia, nerve pain from diabetes, or pain after shingles Who should NOT take LYRICA: + Anyone who is allergic to anything in LYRICA LYRICA has not been studied in children under 18 years of age. ( BEFORE STARTING LYRICA ») Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions. Tell your doctor if you: + Have or had kidney problems or dialysis + Have heart problems, including heart failure + Have a bleeding problem or a low blood platelet count + Have abused drugs or alcohal. LYRICA may cause some people to feel “high? * Are either a man or woman planning to have children or a woman who is breast-feeding, pregnant, or may become pregnant. It is not known if LYRICA may decrease male fertility, pass into breast milk, or if it can harm your unborn baby. You and your doctor should decide whether you should take LYRICA or breast-feed, but not both. Tell your doctor about all your medicines. Include over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell your doctor if you take: + Avandia” (rosiglitazone)* or Actos” (pioglitazone)** for diabetes. You may have a higher chance of weight gain or swelling if these medicines are taken with LYRICA. * Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors . . + Narcotie pain medicines (such as oxycodone), tranquilizers or medicines for anxiety (such as lorazepam). You may have a higher chance for dizziness and sleepiness if these medicines are taken with LYRICA. \ + Any medicines that make you sleepy )POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF LYRICA LYRICA may cause serious side effects, including: + Serious allergic reactions. See “Important Safety Information About LYRICA” for a complete description of the symptoms of a serious allergic reaction. + Dizziness and sleepiness + Eyesight problems including blurry vision + Weight gain and swelling of hands and feet. Weight gain may affect control of diabetes. Weight gain and swelling can be serious for people with heart problems. + Unexplained muscle pain, soreness, or weakness along with a fever or tired feeling + Skin sores. LYRICA caused skin sores in animals. Although skin sores were not seen in. studies in people, if you have diabetes, you should pay extra attention to your skin while taking LYRICA and tell your doctor of any sores or skin problems. If you have any of these symptoms, tell your doctor right away. The most common side effects of LYRICA are: * Dizziness + Dry mouth + Balance problems + Sleepiness + Constipation + Trouble concentrating + Weight gain + Feeling “high” + Increased appetite * Blurry vision + Swelling of hands and feet You may have a higher chance of swelling, hives or gaining weight if you are taking certain diabetes medicines or angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors with LYRICA. Medicines that already make you sleepy or dizzy may make you feel more sleepy or dizzy with LYRICA. yy ~ HOW TO TAKE LYRICA a + Take LYRICA exactly as your doctor tells you. Your doctor may tell you to take it 2 or 3 times a day. + Take LYRICA with or without food. Don't: = Do not drive a car or use machines if you feel dizzy or sleepy while taking LYRICA. « Do not drink alcohol or use other medicines that make you sleepy while taking LYRICA. + Do not change the dose or stop LYRICA suddenly. You may have headaches, nausea, diarthea, or trouble sleeping if you stop taking LYRICA suddenly. + Do not start any new medicines without first talking to your doctor. NEED MORE INFORMATION? ) * Ask your doctor or pharmacist. This is only a brief summary of important information. + Go to wwwilyrica.com or call: — For Nerve Pain: 1-888-9-LY RICA (1-888-959-7422). — For Fibromyalgia: 1-888-5-LYRICA (1-888-559-7422). Uninsured? Need help paying for Pfizer medicines? Pfizer has programs that el Ful can help. Call 1-866-706-2400 or visit Pp . www.PfizerHelpfull Answers.com, answers PARKE-DAVIS, Division of Pfizer Inc., New York, NY 10017 Rx only ©2008 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. PBIF Rev. 1, April 2008 * Avandia is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithK line. ** Actos is a registered traciemark of Takeda Chemicals Industries, Ltd, and is used under license by ‘Takeda Pharmaceuticals of America, Inc., and Eli Lilly and Co.As askas seanne uses LASKAS > My 86-year-old mother wants to take us out for dinner to celebrate my birthday, so she’s chosen a restaurant that she likes and can afford. My husband thinks she’s way out of line. He says I should choose the restaurant, since it’s my birthday. I look at it as a gift. Who’s right? Dear Present, In a word: you. Tell your husband to hook himself up to the dolt-o-meter and watch the needle bounce. Your mom is giving a gift. Receive it, give thanks, and have a good time. > I’'m19 years old and madly in love with an amazing, smart, funny, and beautiful girl. But recently I went through her phone and found a text message from an old flame sent at 2:30 in the morning. Should I confront her about it, or will she think ’'ma snoop? Confused in College Dear Confused, ‘You are a snoop! Perhaps you could confront yourself and learn to trust this amazing, smart, funny, and beautiful girl. If, on the other hand, you have a reason not to trust her, find another way of dealing with it besides going through her stuff. | Jeanne Marie Laskas is not a shrink, but she does have uncommon sense, 60 Present Tense > Nine years ago, Ihad surgery on my nose. The nose is fine, but my upper lip is now very stiff. My hus- band and kids are fine with it, but my mother and brother can barely look at me. Worse, they've mocked me to my face and behind my back. In light of this, I've decided to no longer attend family functions. My brood doesn’t mind, but am I too hasty in pushing my mom and brother away? Hurt Dear Hurt, You have every right to run—your mother and brother have been cruel. Be clear: They have pushed you away. Make sure they know why you're avoiding their company. > Please give me the attitude ad- justment I need. My husband has a ton of goals and dreams, and T give him the time he needs to make them a reality. The only trouble is, he doesn’t reciprocate. If I'm ever invited out by friends and ask him readersdigest.com 3/0 PHOTOGRAPHED BY FRANK VERONSKYto watch the kids, he throws a fit. Itry to respond coherently, but I freeze. What do I say, and how do Isay it? A Frightened Fighter Dear Frightened, Pay attention to the fact that your husband throws fits that make you freeze. Realize this is not normal, not good, not healthy. Stand up for your- self and remind him that marriage is apartnership and right now you're doing all the work. Tell him you would like to renegotiate duties. If he throws a fit and you feel afraid, call the marriage counselor immediately. D> My nine-year-old grandson still takes showers with his dad. They live with my daughter, in Sweden. It may be fine over there, but not here in America! How do I say nicely that Life’s Little Etiquette Conundrums You've been invited to a wedding. You don’t know the newlyweds well and decide not to attend. Here’s the ques- tion: Do you still have to send a gift? Well, you don’t have to do anything. But look at the big picture. Even if you don’t know the newlyweds very well, they thought enough of you to invite you to witness their big day. Would it hurt you to send something—a modest gift or a card—to acknowledge it? Of course not. Would it possibly make the newlyweds just a tiny bit happier? Of course. So just do it. When in doubt, share the love. America isa moral country, and we do not condone people taking showers together over here! Wet Granny Dear Granny, Well, 'd prefer that a nine-year-old shower alone as well, but it’s up to his parents to make these decisions— not his grandmother or an advice columnist. As long as there are no other suspicions, it might be best to remember that Sweden is also a moral country, and unusual customs are not necessarily wicked. > At my last family dinner, I asked everyone to bring a dish and arrive by 5:30 so we could eat at 6. My sister-in- law arrived at 6, with an appetizer that had to be baked for an hour! We were famished, and the rest of the dinner was over-done. How should I have handled this? Starved in Minnesota Dear Starved, Don’t enable the clueless! Your sister-in-law was late and showed up with something that wasn’t cooked, a dish that could only be served later. Next time, either accept it as a gift and stow it in your refrigerator for the next night, or let it bake while you eat din- ner and serve it with dessert. é Questions about manners, parents, partners, or office politics? Ask Jeanne Marie Laskas at readersdigest.com/laskas. Sending gives us permission to edit and publish. 61Advertisement STARTS IN THE KITCHEN Substituting Promise® Spread in place of butter is a great way to reduce your intake of saturated fat and cholesterol without sacrificing taste. In fact, a national survey of 326 cardiologists found that 9 out of 10 endorsed the Promise® brand of soft spreads for their patients, based on nutritional information. Try Promise® instead of butter in many of your favorite recipes, like the delicious one featured here. a a LU adi} eld CT eyes) be doubled or tripled) ere BERET C ty PTT eee a Ingredients # 1/2 lb. poik tenderloin, cut ino 6 slices #1/4isp. diied thyme leaves, crushed # 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper #2 Thsp. Promise® Buttery Spread # 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled ond thinly sliced #1 small red onion, thinly sliced #2 Tbsp. port wine or apple juice «1/2 cup apple juice * 1/4 cup diied Mission liglets, chopped, or dried cronberties or cherries NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING Calories 140 Total Fat 134 Calories From Fat 120 Saturated Fat 39 Cholesterol 75mg Dietary Fiber 6g Sugars 369, Protein 259 Vitamin A 10% Vitamin 15% Calcium 6% Iron 15% Endorse Premite® Batty Spread contains B gioms of ial Total Carbotiydrate 479 Directions Season pork with thyme and black pepper Melt Promise® Buttery Spread over medium: high heat and cook potk, turning once, 6 iminutes or unt done. Remove pork to plate keep warm. Add apples and onion fo some skillet and cock, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes cor just until tender. Add port and bring to a boil, Add apple juice and figlels. Retuin to boil. Reduce heat to low ond simmer covered 5 minutes or until opples ond onion are ‘ender. Serve apple mixture over pork Cardiologist Endorsed ee i thealthy.com fet ond 1.5 cya of sahuoted fat per serving, Js cholederol fee, conta no tare Fat per sorving and no hydiegencted ailsPromise Buttery Spread el spread that contains 8 gta and 15 q saturated fat Spread the word: Comparing the nutrtional profiles of Promise Butlery Spread and Smari Balance” Buttery Spread, most cardiologiss preferred Promise for their patientsFuel her body and spark her imagination. Campbell’s” Chicken & Stars soup. With 25% less sodium than before and no MSG! Fun noodles, real chicken, and yummy carrots ina chicken broth. Just what she needs to reach for the stars. M’m! M'n! Good!® ‘Except for the small amount naturally occuring IILLUSTRATED BY MARTHA GRADISHER “Pm just interning until | decide what to do with my life.” hen I phoned my employee to find out why she hadn’t come to the office, I expected to hear a sob story about how sick she was, blah, blah, blah. Instead, her excuse was pretty plausible. “When I was driving to work, I took a wrong turn,” she explained. “and then I just decided to keep going.” Judie Shewell student tore into our school office. “My iPod was stolen!” she cried. I handed her a form, and she filled it out, answering every- thing, even those questions intended for the princi- pal. Under “Disposi- tion,” she wrote, “I’m really ticked off.” Deborah Miles facili readersdigest.com 3/0 A case manager at our mental-health sought a reference for a patient who was looking for a job. “Pl vouch for him,” offered another patient. “We were roommates in prison.” Jeanne Muller 65 he mortality rate for this oper- ation is 1 percent,” my medical school professor said as he reviewed a procedure. “Put another way, mor- tality is 1 percent if it happens to somebody else. If it happens to you, it’s 100 percent.” Jaya Mahajan H™. not to become a member of senior management: During a meeting, our bosses held a contest to name a new proj- ect. As members of the manage- ment team read through the entries, our CEO picked one out and asked, “Who knows what a phoenix is?” ‘A junior manager answered, “It’s a bird in Harry Potter.” Marie AlcarezHELP WANTING Wanted: Lifeguard. Must be able to swim. Washington Times; submitted by Don Candy very morning, I do a mad dash to drop off my son Tyler at day care so I can get to work on time. My im- patience hit home one morning when he piped up from the back of the car, “Our car is really fast and everyone else’s is slow because they’re all idiots, right, Mom?” Rhonda Roverts t was a busy lunch hour, made longer by one of my customers who couldn’t make up his mind about what to order. After loudly «.) You Can : $30,000! — Just send us your true funny stories, jokes, quotes, headlines, and lists to enter the $30,000 sweepstakes. Plus, if we run your item ina print edition of Reader’s Digest magazine, we’ll pay you $100. > Go to readersdigest.comyjackpot for terms of usage and payment and other details. Rates are subject to change. > To enter sweepstakes (with or without ajoke) and for official rules, go to readers digest.com/jackpot or send your submission or entry to: The $30,000-Winner-Take-Alll Prize (#002), Box 946, Newburgh, New York 12550. No purchase necessary to enter or win. Sweepstakes closes 2hs)ho, Open to US residents 66 What’s the one good thing about being unemployed? Reading the want ads. Wanted: Tudor needed for help in English class. submitted by Yang Liu Wanted: Experienced drivers. Seen on the back of an overturned truck; Daily Reveille; - submitted by Jeff Snively polling everyone at his table, he asked me, “What do you think I should have?” Before I could answer, an irritated man at the next table offered a suggestion: “How about a picnic?” Linda McCane fellow salesperson, an animal lover, was suddenly overcome by allergies at one of our company meetings. Coughing, sniffling, watery eyes ... she was a mess, “If you have such terrible allergies, why do you keep so many pets?” asked a friend. “Because”—sneeze, cough, hack— “if I'm going to be sick, I might as well have company.” John Catawelt hen my coworker Donsa was promoted, we decided to celebrate. Her boss called the baker and ordered a cake. “Two questions,” said the baker. “Is Donsa a man or a woman? And what do you want the cake to say?” “The cake should read ‘Congrat- ulations,” the boss said. “Oh, and Donsa’s a woman.” The next day, the office cele- brated with a cake that read “Congratulations—Donsa’s a woman.” Andrea Johnson readersdigest.com 3/0To fight your worst chest congestion, you need something that can really pummel mucus - Maximum Strength Mucinex. One pill has the most mucus fighting medicine to get tid of congestion for a full 12 hours. So the next time you have big, bad mucus, run it out of town with Maximum Strength Mucinex. Mucinex www.mucinex.com Mucinex in. Mucus out? 80128 0201 e002 IaH OYou need to manage all the parts of your cholesterol problem, not just your bad cholesterol. If your triglycerides, or fat in the blood, are high or your good cholesterol is low, ask your doctor about TRILIPIX. Along with diet and exercise, TRILIPIX is the only FDA-approved fibrate cholesterol medication that when added to your current statin medication lowers triglycerides and raises your good cholesterol to help improve all three cholesterol numbers. Ask your doctor if TRILIPIX is right for you and how it can complete your cholesterol care. “umes (mg/l shown ntiangls ae reconmendatons according tthe Aneican Heat Associaton (ANA), Your LDL chester gl depends on how mary ow rk factorsyou hae, sch as yor age, fly ity, igre smoking, High lod jressur, orlow HDL m general DL goal isles than 160 mai. you have ane or norsk factors LDL goals than 180/mgi you ve 2c more isk factors ad LDL ool es han 100 mgt you hav coronary heart dsease dabei. Tak wih eur ocr about your rik factors and wha your cholera goss Sou be, Uses and Important Safety Information TRILIPIX is a prescription medicine used along with diet in adults to lower triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol, and increase HDL (good) cholesterol. TRILIPIX can be used alone or with another cholesterol- lowering medicine called a statin. TRILIPIX has not been shown to prevent heart disease or heart attack. TRILIPIX should not be taken by people with liver, gallbladder, or severe kidney disease, nursing mothers, or those allergic to any product ingredient. Unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness may be a sign of a serious side effect and should be reported to your healthcare provider right away. Rarely, muscle-related problems can cause kidney damage. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take to help avoid serious side effects. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests before and during (©0rPecttetoes ib Pa 0605 2186 ry 20 Pr USA For prescription use only.COMPLETE YOUR CHOLESTEROL CARE “ve been taking medication to lower my bad cholesterol but | needed more help to manage the other two parts.” 4 TRILIPD<” (fenofibric acid) Learn more: www.trilipix.com or call 1.888.866.3073 Complete your cholesterol care treatment with TRILIPIX. You should also contact your healthcare provider if you experience abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting while taking TRILIPIX. These may be signs of inflammation of the gallbladder or pancreas. Women who are pregnant should not take statins. If you are pregnant or may become pregnant, talk with your healthcare provider about TRILIPIX. The most common side effects with TRILIPIX include headache, heartburn, nausea, muscle aches, and increases in muscle or liver enzymes that are measured by blood tests. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwateh, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see adjacent pages for brief summary of full Prescribing Information.CONSUMER BRIEF SUMMARY CONSULT PACKAGE INSERT FOR FULL PRESCRIBING INFORMATION (fenofibric acid) delayed release capsules Patient Information Read the Medication Guide before you start taking Trilipix and each time you get a refill. There may be new information. This information does not take the place of talking to your healthcare provider about your medical condition or your treatment. What is the most important information I should know about Trilipix? Trilipix can be used with other cholesterol-lowering medicines called statins. Statins include: * atorvastatin (Lipitor, Caduet) * pravastatin (Pravachol) * fluvastatin (Lescol, Lescol XL) * lovastatin (Altoprev, Mevacor, * simvastatin (Zocor, Simcor, Vytorin) Advicor) Statins can cause muscle pain, tendemess or weakness, which may be symptoms of a rare but serious muscle condition called rhabdomyolysis. In some cases rhabdomyolysis can cause kidney damage and death. The risk of rhabdomyolysis may be higher when Trilipix is given with statins. If you take a statin, tell your healthcare provider. Other medicines or large amounts of grapefruit juice (more than a quart) may raise the levels of statins in your body, and could then raise the risk of muscle problems. Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking any medicines listed below. ° Heart medicine * Hormones * Stomach medicine * HIV/AIDS medicine * Antibiotic * Antidepressant * Anti-fungal * Immunosuppressant * Cholesterol-lowering medicine * Anti-seizure medicine Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of these medicines, if you are not sure. Tell your healthcare provider if you drink grapefruit juice. 1What is Trilipix? Trilipix is a prescription medicine used to treat cholesterol in the blood by lowering the total amount of triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol, and increasing the HDL (good) cholesterol. You should be on a low fat and low cholesterol diet while you take Trilipix. The safety and effectiveness of Trilipix in children is not known. Who should not take Trilipix? Do not take Trilipix if you: + are allergic to fenofibric acid, or any of the ingredients in Trilipix. See the end of this brief summary for a list of all the ingredients in Trilipix. + have severe kidney disease. * have liver disease. * have gallbladder disease. * are a nursing mother. Talk to your healthcare provider before you take Trilipix if you have any of these conditions. What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking Trilipix? Before taking Trilipix, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you: * are allergic to any medicines. + have ever had kidney problems. * have ever had liver problems. * have ever had gallbladder problems. * are pregnant or if you plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Trilipix will harm your unborn baby. are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Trilipix passes into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will take Trilipix or breastfeed. You should not do both. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. Using Trilipix with certain other medicines can affect the way these medicines work and other medicines may affect how Trilipix works. In some cases, using Trilipix with other medicines can cause serious side effects. Know all the medicines you take. Keep a list of them and show it to your healthcare provider when you get a new medicine. It is especially important to tell your healthcare provider if you take any of the medicines mentioned in, “What is the most important information 2I should know about Trilipix?” or any of the medicines listed below: * anticoagulants, also known as blood thinners (warfarin, Coumadin) * bile acid resins * cyclosporine Ask your healthcare provider if you are not sure if your medicine is one of these. How should I take Tri 2 You should be on a low fat and low cholesterol diet while you take Trilipix. Take Trilipix one time each day as prescribed by your healthcare provider. Take Trilipix with or without food. Swallow Trilipix capsules whole. Do not break, crush, dissolve, or chew Trilipix capsules before swallowing. If you cannot swallow Trilipix capsules whole, tell your healthcare provider, you may need a different medicine. Tf you take a medicine called a statin, you can take Trilipix and your statin at the same time of day. If you miss a dose of Trilipix, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, just skip the missed dose. Take the next dose at your regular time. If you are not sure about your dosing, call your healthcare provider. Do not take more than one dose of Trilipix a day unless your healthcare provider tells you to. Tf you take too much Trilipix. contact your healthcare provider or your local emergency department. Do not change your dose or stop Trilipix unless your healthcare provider tells you to. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests before you start taking Trilipix and during treatment. See your healthcare provider regularly to check your cholesterol and triglyceride levels and to check for side effects. What are the possible side effects with Trilipix? Trilipix may cause serious side effects, including: * muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness. See “What is the most important information that I should know about Trilipix?” * tiredness and fever. + abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting. These may be signs of inflammation (swelling) of the gallbladder or pancreas. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these serious side effects. The most common side effects with Trilipix include: * headache * muscle aches + heartburn (indigestion) + increases in muscle or liver enzymes * nausea that are measured by blood testsTell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of Trilipix. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effecis to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. How do I store Trilipix? * Store Trilipix between 59° to 86° F (15° to 30° C). * Protect Trilipix from moisture. Keep Trilipix and all medicines out of the reach of children. General information about the safe and effective use of Trilipix Medicines are sometimes prescribed for conditions that are not mentioned in a Medication Guide. Do not use Trilipix for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give Trilipix to other people, even if they have the same condition you have. It may harm them. This brief summary summarizes the most important information about Trilipix. If you would like more information, talk to your healthcare provider. You can also ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider for information that is written for health professionals. For more information go to www.Trilipix.com or call 1-800-633-9110. What are the ingredients in Trilipix? Active Ingredient: Fenofibric acid Inactive Ingredients: Hypromellose, povidone, water, hydroxylpropy! cellulose, colloidal silicon dioxide, sodium stearyl fumarate, methacrylic acid copolymer, talc, triethyl citrate, gelatin, titanium dioxide, and yellow iron oxide. Additionally, the 45 mg capsule shell contains black iron oxide and red iron oxide, and the 135 mg capsule shell contains FD&C Blue #2. ©Abbott Manufactured for Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, IL 60064, U.S.A. by Fournier Laboratories Ireland Limited, Anngrove, Carrigtwohill Co. Cork, Treland, or Abbott Pharmaceutical PR Ltd., Barceloneta, PR 00617. Revised: December, 2008 Ref: 03-A192 032-191723 MASTER co) Abbott 032-211866DI tC) iink! You're invited to join Our Connection, the Reader’s Digest online reader PET AiUaticom Colt Lmey lial ola eelt (eMac) create an even better magazine—and rece aM race Velden Go to rdconnection.com and enter code RDMAR. ter 0 u nt here prohibited, For entry Readers gest. = C@NNECTIOILLUSTRATED BY CLIFF MOTT Offpase TRUE TOONS cene: boot camp, right after lunch. We’d just fallen into formation when a fly landed on my nose. Being a good Marine, I tried ignoring it. But after a few minutes of itchy agony, I swatted at it. “Hester!” our drill instructor yelled. “You are not to move when at attention!” “A fly landed on my face, sir.” “Private! You had your chow. Let him have his!” Kim Hester (OH, I DON'T MIND While lopping branches off suMeins. a tree in his yard, my warrant officer lacerated his leg with a chain saw, requiring a trip to the hospital and stitches. Our chief decided we should clean up the mess for him. On the office chalk- board were directions to his home, along with this clarification: “It’s the house with the limbs in the yard.” LCDR Michael Riley tanding guard at a NATO instal- lation in South Korea, I saluted officers from all around the world. But one officer, dressed in a regal- looking black uniform, always seemed embarrassed by it. One day as I was putting right hand to forehead, he stopped me. True story from J. Michael Vaughn “You really don’t have to salute & Your favorite new joke, funny military me,” he said. “I’m in the Salvation 3 anecdote, or crazy news story might be Army.” Stanley Pierkowski worth $$$. See page 66 for details. readersdigest.com 3/09 75Our America Count on Us From our earliest days, we’ve been known as anation of helpers sy cari m. cannon he ramshackle Oldsmobile that carried me between my parents’ home in Virginia and the University of Colorado had 150,000 miles on it, burned a quart of oil with every tank of gas, and would pop out of second gear into neutral unless you were accelerat- ing. That didn’t stop my younger brother and his best friend from asking for a lift on my way back to. school in Boulder to spend the sum- mer. It was 1973, and gas was cheap, so I brought them along—even making a thousand-mile detour so they could see California. That car made it as far as Utah. ‘Twenty miles outside Salt Lake City, with the Olds low on oil and water and the motor running hot, flames started licking out from under the hood. We sputtered to the side of the road, pulled our belongings out of the trunk, and watched the fire burn itself out. Three teenagers with long hair, little money, and no clue, we stood helplessly together in the chilly west- ern night on the side of Interstate 80. 76 Our savior spotted us from across the freeway and flashed his lights so we'd know he'd seen us. He was heading in the opposite direction and had to drive a few miles to an exit to turn around. Soon he was pulling his pickup truck alongside us, with his wife in the cab. He jumped out and lifted up the Olds’s hood, made some ominous sounds, and towed us to a gas station. The garage attendant told us what we already feared: We'd thrown a rod, and the engine was frozen. Our car was kaput. Our benefactor shrugged and told us to load everything into his truck and hop in the back. The couple took us to their tract house in Salt Lake City; we were welcome to stay with them, they said, but we'd sleep in the garage so we wouldn't disturb their two little girls. The next morning, our host scoured the classified ads for a used car. He spotted a promising Dodge station wagon with a funky push- button transmission. It had 100,000 miles, needed a little work—and cost$200. We went to see it. It was an improvement on my Olds, especially after our host spent the weekend tuning the Dodge, replacing hoses and filters, cleaning the carburetor, and changing the fluids and tires. ‘Two days after our freeway flame- readersdigest.com 3/09 out, we were roadworthy again. We packed up our wagon and said goodbye. The little girls gave us hugs, the mom packed sand- wiches and brownies, and the man shook our hands and wished us well. Assuming that a spiritual commit- 7ment was behind these acts of good- ness, I had inquired about his faith while we worked on the car. No, he’d chuckled, he was a lapsed Mormon. I remember thinking that whatever his beliefs, he had On the ride out, he asked why I was helping them. I said I’d never properly thanked the man in Utah. certainly been a Good Samaritan. But then, that’s what we Ameri- cans are, aren’t we? Alexis de Tocqueville, visiting our country in 1831, was impressed by Americans’ willingness to help those in need. “If some great and sudden calamity befalls a family, the purses of a thousand strangers are at once willingly opened,” he wrote in Democracy in America. The young Frenchman even spoke to my mis- fortune: “If an accident happens on the highway, everybody hastens to. help the sufferer.” it has been throughout our history. Both times that Eu- rope erupted in war in the 20th century, America sent food and medicine by the shipload before— and after—we sent soldiers. During ‘World War I, the American Relief Association, headed by Herbert Hoover, almost certainly saved more European lives than did the dough- boys commanded by U.S. Army Gen. 7 John J. Pershing. After World War II, President Truman prevailed on Hoover to reprise his role, again averting mass starvation in Europe. Americans are a giving people. We donate hundreds of billions to charity every year. And we do so even when we are pressed ourselves: A Gallup poll taken just before Christmas showed that 84 percent of us had donated to charity in the pre- vious 12 months—just a tiny down- ward tick from three years ago, when Gallup last did the same survey. George H.W. Bush gave a lyrical simile to our helping spirit: “a thousand points of light.” His son George W. spoke of our “armies of compassion.” Highlighting our national trait of generosity has been a priority of presidents from the beginning of our nation, both ona public and personal level. George Washington sent $25 to the pastor of two Presbyterian churches in New York as a significant gesture “toward relieving the poor,” in his words. “Giving is an American tradition,” says Arthur C. Brooks, author of Gross National Happiness, a book in part about the reciprocal satisfaction that philanthropy gives. Thad little knowledge of such things during my college years. Before pulling out of Salt Lake City, we thanked our hosts profusely— but how do you really repay a family readersdigest.com 3/00of strangers for bailing you out of a bad situation? In our youthful igno- rance, we neglected even to write down their address, and by the time we arrived in California, we had forgotten their names. nd yet our good fortune in Utah left its mark: I rarely passed by anyone in need on the freeway again. After school, I married, had children, and landed jobs in Colorado, Georgia, and Cali- fornia before I came east to Washing- ton, D.C., in 1982. One night, while fighting Beltway traffic on a miser- ably cold night in a driving rain- storm, I saw three kids huddled together out of the corner of my eye. It was wet and dark and took me acouple of hundred yards to pull over. They saw my brake lights and came running, hesitating as they approached my pickup. They were a bit younger than my teenage brother, his friend, and I back in ’73. “Hop in,” I said. They did, and asked where they were headed. “Little Rock!” one of them replied delightedly. Icocked an eyebrow, and one of the boys said, “This is Virginia, right?” “Yes,” I replied. “Good! Virginia is in the South— and so is Arkansas.” “Where are you boys from?” asked. “New Jersey.” I told them that Arkansas and Virginia had indeed both been in the Old Confederacy, but they were about a thousand miles apart. I asked if they had money or a place to stay—they had neither—and I realized that they were in the same kind of predicament we'd been in on Interstate 80 a dozen years before. Cell phones were still not com- mon, nor were ATMs. But my mother lived nearby, so I took them to her house and came out bearing sand- wiches, a six-pack of Coke, and some camping gear that I’d stored at my mom’s house: two old sleeping bags, three rain slickers, and a flashlight. I gave it all to them, plus all the cash Thad, about $80, which at the time was enough for a couple of nights at a roadside motel. I also gave them amap from my glove compartment and drove them an hour to a truck stop in Gainesville, Virginia, next to a well-traveled route heading south. On the ride out, one of the guys asked me why I was doing this for them. I told them of my own experi- ence in Utah and how I had never properly thanked the man who had helped us—that this was the best way I knew to repay his kindness. The boys got quiet. One of them wrote down my name and address. But one of the others seemed to re- ally take in the spirit of the moment. “I know what you're saying,” he said. “One day when we're older, we'll come across some stranded kids—and we'll help them.” Yes, I thought, you will. It’s what Americans do. Send us your ideas and stories about what it means to be an American at readersdigest.com/myamerica.Je figured out a way to remember his wife’s birthday and their wedding anniversary. He opened an account with a florist and told him to send flowers to his wife on those dates, along with a note signed “Your loving husband.” His wife was thrilled by the attention, and all was great until one anniversary. Joe came home, saw the bouquet, kissed his wife, and said, “Nice flowers. Where'd you get them?” ’m bald—well, balding. I like to say “balding” because it sounds more productive. And I don’t like to say I’m losing my hair, because that makes it sound like had I been more respon- sible, this wouldn’t have happened. “Where’s your hair?” “I lost it. You know me. Where are my keys?” Isaac Witty, asheardon roottopcomedy.com apanese banks have been hit almost as hard as American banks: The Origami Bank has folded, and we hear the Sumo Bank has gone belly-up too. Bonsai Bank plans to cut some of its 80 “Not yet. Don’t fly off until the moment they raise their binoculars.” branches. Karaoke Bank is for sale and is going for a song. Meanwhile, staff at Karate Bank got the chop, and analysts report there is some- thing fishy going on at Sushi Bank, where workers fear they may get a raw deal. Submitted by Barbara Padwell he opposite of talking isn’t listen- ing. The opposite of talking is waiting. Fran Lebowitz readersdigest.com 3/0 ILLUSTRATED BY Nick DOWNESFAMILY DEVALUES We never talked, my family. We communi- cated by putting Ann Landers articles on the refrigerator. Judy Gold driving one. harried man runs into his physician’s office. “Doctor! Doctor! My wife’s in labor! But she keeps screaming, ‘Shouldr’t, couldn’t, wouldn’t, can’t!”” “Oh, that’s okay,” says the doctor. “She’s just having contractions.” Submitted by Donna Wilson “lummoxed by his true-false final exam, a student decides to toss acoin up in the air. Heads means true; tails, false. Thirty minutes later, he’s done, well before the rest of the class. But then the student starts flipping the coin again. And soon he's swearing and sweating over each question. “What's wrong?” asks the con- cerned teacher. “I'm rechecking my answers,” says the student. ihre guys are fishing on a lake when an angel appears in the boat with them. The first guy gets over his shock and humbly says to the angel, “I've suffered from back pain for years. Is it too much to ask that you help me?” The angel touches the man’s back, and he feels instant relief. The second guy points to his Coke- I have an 18-year-old; her name is Alexis. | chose that name because if! hadn’t had her, I'd be Robin Fairbanks The reason grand- parents and children get along so well is really quite simple: They have a.common enemy. Sam Levenson bottle glasses and asks if the angel could cure his poor eyesight. The angel tosses the man’s glasses into the lake. When they hit the water, the man’s vision clears, and he can see everything distinctly. The angel now turns to the third guy, who throws up his hands in fear. “Don’t touch me!” he cries. “T’m on disability!” ’m not into exercising. Yesterday ~ my wife said, “Let’s walk around the block.” I said, “Why? We're already here.” Charles Dickens walks into a bar and orders a martini. The bartender asks, “Olive or twist?” Comic Wendell Potter An amnesiac walks into a bar. He goes up to a beautiful blonde and says, “So, do | come here often?” A guy walks into a bar witha lizard on his shoulder. “What do you call that?” asks the bartender. “Tiny,” says the guy. “Because he’s my newt.” 8 Your favorite new joke, funny anecdote, ) or crazy news story might be worth $$$. See page 66 for details. B1Taking all my doses, and paying less. Both make me feel good. EI Re mr pai s00sof Overthe Counter (latte Walmart’s Prescription Program saves you money on hundreds of generic prescriptions. With Walmart’s unbeatable prices*, you can pay for prescriptions and have money left over. Walmart Savemoney. Live better. ee walmart.com/pharmacy=> Health NEWS YOU CAN USE A New Way to Keep Bones Strong ‘ou already know you need plenty of calcium and vitamin D to keep your bones strong. But surprising new research suggests that another dietary move is just as important. The key: Go easy on carbs and sub in more fruits and veggies. It’s a matter of chemistry. When you digest carbohydrates, the process turns your innards slightly acidic. That’s a problem because a high-acid envi- ronment leaches calcium from bone, says Tufts University researcher Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD. In contrast, fruits and vegetables create a skeleton- friendly alkaline environment. The American diet tends to on be acid-producing—particularly hard on older people, whose kidneys can’t clear acid compounds as quickly. In Dr. Dawson-Hughes’s new study, an alkaline supplement lowered the amount of calcium that volunteers excreted by 20 percent. That —— supplement isn't currently available are outside research labs, but, says WY Dr. Dawson-Hughes, you can get MM the same benelit by tweaking your diet. Her skeleton-strengthening guidelines: Include at least two readersdigest.com 3/09= Health vegetable or fruit servings at INSTEAD OFTHIS | every meal, and eat no more ACID PRODUCER than two daily servings of PASTA carbs like bread, cereal, and SODA pasta. To keep your bones even _ MEAT AND POULTRY stronger, try the substitutions | BEER at right. Janis Graham _PEANUTS Dried bonito broth >Where it’s popular Japan. Made from smoked, dried shavings of tuna, the flavorful broth is used asa base for soups and sauces and is a traditional remedy for colds and fatigue. > Why you should try it Bonito broth is rich in EAT THIS ALKALI BOOSTER POTATOES FRUIT JUICE TOFU WINE RAISINS: disease-fighting antioxi-__ adding vegetables or dants. Animal studies, noodles or simply drinking as well asa small trial in plain (serves two). The humans, suggest it can broth has a smoky, hearty lower blood pressure. flavor similar to that of beef > How to make it Bring bouillon and is fat-free and 2.5 cups of water toa low in sodium. You can find boil, add a quarter cup the dried flakes at health of the flakes, and immedi- food stores, Asian groceries, ately remove from heat. _ and online (at edenfoods Strain the stock before .com, for example). Feadersdigest.com 3/09oe" disso ly t There is no generic form of ANl For special offers and a 7-Night free trial of ANB ‘AMBIEN GR i recat hep you al asleep andr say ap. INeORTANT SAFETY WFORUATION ANBEN CR isa beset opton yor snd yourdoctor ‘car consie dong wih es changes ad can be talon forse og a youre recommen Unb you non hi ANBEN CR afc yo, you ssn dive or opera mactiney, Be suey able to hy fo 8 uo Step fore bing atv aga Seeprakg, an eabige vg whi a Ty aveke, wih ammesa forte even he oes pate. ifyau erperene ny hese bears contd your peer mrad. nae caes top as ay ‘aise alegicreacions ch as suing of yeu tongue (ral or stness of ores ot ore severe ess yaa eve analrgireactn while usig AMBIEN CR ovat yur casa Ine. Se cs ay Inc nest-aydomsies,dzzhess an neta ItSnon-rarenie; howe, he mos sleep meccnes it ha ste kot depancaney Donk wth aes Pasa ee np meting on airs pe OR, soask your prescriber or pharmacist for A CR visit: AMBIEN é ndcaadter stare reatmant o hep you fal leap, IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION han yu fist tt king AMBIEN, use catenin te moring when engayig aces eqarng comple Serfecs unt! you kaw how ysl at the raaben nos istancasnrrary pelos can be ave you abe AMEN any wen ou are abe to go fil ght See (7 08 ters) bare you ra Tobe actie anon. fs wi ysis madeton, co rot ‘se let whl yeu ar eng ABN. Sapna, an ear rc hl nl ly awake ith tena hee hiaboe epoteeFyOu ference ay of ese beter contd yo pote ined rarecass, sleep meiines may cause alg eats seh as nving of your ongue vos terrasse eam or rare severe eats Hyp hw an allege racten ule usng AMBEN, cor yur coco mire, Prescrpton Sepals {antienan or 7o 10 dys ergs a5 aud 008-200 sac ni US. LL. i R by name. or call 1 by yor roi. Lke mest sleep meicnes, has some ise pence. Tere Isa bu ture of eof scot wih te stream use of NRE, erst coneeny cosas ste ones canted nia trae wee rousss (2%), dizainoss (05), ar ca (3, Youare encouraged to et negate sid acs of pesoptin dags tothe FA Viste govneduach or 1-860-FDA- TOE. ICR FDROEAEC 1) 081.064 Dasart 208 Pin USMEDICATION GUIDE AMBIEN CR® (am’bé-an see ahr) C-IV (zolpidem tartrate extended-release tablets) Read the Medication Guide that comes with AMBIEN CR before you start taking it and each time you get a refill. There may be new infor- mation. This Medication Guide does not take the place of talking ta your doctor about your medical condition or treatment. What is the most important information | should know about AMBIEN CR? After taking AMBIEN CR, you may get up out of bed while not being fully awake and do an activity that you do not know you are doing. The next morning, you may not remember that you did anything during the night. You have a higher chance for doing these activities if you drink alcohol or take other medicines that make you sleepy with AMBIEN CR. Reported activities include: » driving a car ("sleep-driving’) + making and eating food + talking on the phone » having sex +_sleep-walking Call your doctor right away if you find out that you have done any of the above activities after taking AMBIEN CR. Important: 1, Take AMBIEN CR exactly as prescribed * Do not take more AMBIEN CR than prescribed * Take AMBIEN CR right before you get in bed, not sooner. 2. Do not take AMBIEN CR if you: * drink alcchol * take other medicines that can make you sleepy. Talk to your doctor about all of your medicines. Your doctor will tell you if you can take AMBIEN CR with your other medicines. * cannot get a full night's sleep What is AMBIEN CR? AMBIEN CR is a sedative-hypnotic (sleep) medi- cine. AMBIEN CR is used in adults for the treat- ment of a sleep problem called insomnia Symptoms of insomnia include: * trouble falling asleep + waking up often during the night AMBIEN CR is not for children AMBIEN CR is a federally controlled substance] (CIV) because it can be abused or lead tol dependence. Keep AMBIEN CR in a safe place to| prevent misuse and abuse. Selling or giving away| AMBIEN CR may harm others, and is against the| law. Tell your doctor if you have ever abused or| have been dependent on alcohol, prescription’ medicines or street drugs. Who should not take AMBIEN CR? Do not take AMBIEN CR if you are allergic to any- thing in it. See the end of this Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients in AMBIEN CR. AMBIEN CR may not be right for you. Before starting AMBIEN CR, tell your doctor about all of your health conditions, including if you: « have a history of depression, mental illness, or suicidal thoughts have a history of drug or alcohol abuse or addiction have kidney or liver disease have a lung disease or breathing problems are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding Tell your doctor about all of the medicines you take including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. Medicines can interact with each other, some- times causing serious side effects. Do not take AMBIEN CR with other medicines that can make you sleepy. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of your medicines with you to show your doctor and pharmacist each time you get a new medicine. How should | take AMBIEN CR? + Take AMBIEN CR exactly as prescribed. Do not take more AMBIEN CR than prescribed for you. me AMBIEN CR right before you get into Do not take AMBIEN CR unless you are able to stay in hed a full night (7-8 hours) before you must be active again. Swallow AMBIEN CR Tablets whole. Do not chew or break the tablets. Tell your doctor if you cannot swallow tablets whole. For faster sleep onset, AMBIEN CR should NOT be taken with or immediately after a meal.* Callyour doctor if your insomnia worsens or is not better within 7 to 10 days. This may mean that there is another condition causing your sleep problems. If you take too much AMBIEN CR or overdose, call your doctor or poison control center right away, or get emergency treatment. What are the possible side effects of AMBIEN CR? Serious side effects of AMBIEN CR include: getting out of bed while not being fully awake and do an activity that you do not know you are doing. (See “What is the most important information | should know about AMBIEN CR?) abnormal thoughts and behavior. Symptoms include more outgoing or aggres- sive behavior than normal, confusion, agita- tion, hallucinations, worsening of depression, and suicidal thoughts or actions. memory loss anxiety severe allergic reactions. Symptoms include swelling of the tongue or throat, trouble breathing, and nausea and vomiting. Get emergency medical help if you get these symp- toms after taking AMBIEN CR. Call your doctor right away if you have any of the above side effects or any other side effects that worry you while using AMBIEN CR. The most common side effects of AMBIEN CR are: headache sleepiness dizziness You may still feel drowsy the next day after taking AMBIEN CR. Do not drive or do other dangerous activities after taking AMBIEN CR until you feel fully awake. After you stop taking a sleep medicine, you may have symptoms for 1 to 2 days such as: trouble sleeping, nausea, flushing, lightheadedness, uncontrolled crying, vomiting, stomach cramps, panic attack, nervousness, and stomach area pain, These are not all the side effects of AMBIEN CR. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. (all your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA~1088. How should I store AMBIEN CR? * Store AMBIEN CR at room temperature, 59° to 77°F (15° to 25° C). + Keep AMBIEN CR and all medicines out of reach of children, General Information about AMBIEN CR * Medicines are sometimes prescribed for pur- poses other than those listed in a Medication Guide. Do not use AMBIEN CR for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not share AMBIEN CR with other people, even if you think they have the same symp- toms that you have. It may harm them and it is against the law. This Medication Guide summarizes the most important information about AMBIEN CR. If you would like more information, talk with your doc tor. You can ask your doctor or pharmacist for information about AMBIEN CR that is written for healthcare professionals. For more information about AMBIEN CR, call 1-800-633-1610 or visit www.ambiencr.com, What are the ingredients in AMBIEN CR? Active Ingredient: Zolpidem tartrate Inactive Ingredients: The 6.25 mg tablets contain: colloidal silicon dioxide, hypromellose, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol, potassium bitartrate, red ferric oxide, sodium starch glycolate, and titanium dioxide. The 12.5 mg tablets contain: colloidal silicon dioxide, FD&C Blue #2, hypromellose, lactose monohy- drate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cel lulose, polyethylene glycol, potassium bitartrate, sodium starch glycolate, titanium dioxide, and yellow ferric oxide. Rx Only This Medication Guide has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC Bridgewater, NJ 08807 January 2008a AMBCR-JANO8a-M-AdMEDICATION GUIDE AMBIEN® (am’bé- an) Tablets C-IV (zolpidem tartrate, Read the Medication Guide that comes with AMBIEN before you start taking it and each time you get a refill. There may be new infor- mation. This Medication Guide does not take the place of talking to your doctor about your medical condition or treatment. AMBIEN is not for children. AMBIEN is a federally controlled substance (CIV) because it can be abused or lead to dependence. Keep AMBIEN in a safe place to prevent misuse and abuse. Selling or giving away AMBIEN may harm others, and is against the law. Tell your doctor if you have ever abused or have been dependent on alcohol, prescription medicines or street drugs. What is the most important information | should know about AMBIEN? After taking AMBIEN, you may get up out of bed while not being fully awake and do an activity that you do not know you are doing. The next morning, you may not remember that you did anything during the night. You have a higher chance for doing these activities if you drink alcohol or take other medicines that make you sleepy with AMBIEN. Reported activities include » driving a car (“sleep-driving’) * making and eating food » talking on the phone * having sex + sleep-walking Call your doctor right away if you find out that you have done any of the above activities after taking AMBIEN. Important: 1, Take AMBIEN exactly as prescribed * Do not take more AMBIEN than prescribed. »* Take AMBIEN right before you get in bed, not sooner, 2. Do not take AMBIEN if you: drink alcohol take other medicines that can make you sleepy. Talk to your doctor about all of your medicines. Your doctor will tell you if you can take AMBIEN with your other medicines. cannot get a full night's sleep What is AMBIEN? AMBIEN is a sedative-hypnotic (sleep) medicine. AMBIEN is used in adults for the short-term treatment of a sleep problem called insomnia, Symptoms of insomnia include: * trouble falling asleep Who should not take AMBIEN? Do not take AMBIEN if you are allergic to anything in it. See the end of this Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients in AMBIEN. AMBIEN may not be right for you. Before starting AMBIEN, tell your doctor about all of your health conditions, including if you: + have a history of depression, mental illness, or suicidal thoughts have a history of drug or alcohol abuse or addiction have kidney or liver disease have a lung disease or breathing problems are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding Tell your doctor about all of the medicines you take including prescription and nonprescrip- tion medicines, vitamins and herbal supple- ments. Medicines can interact with each other, sometimes causing serious side effects. Do not take AMBIEN with other medicines that can make you sleepy. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of your medicines with you to show your doctor and pharmacist each time you geta new medicine. How should | take AMBIEN? * Take AMBIEN exactly as prescribed. Do not take more AMBIEN than prescribed for you. . fake AMBIEN right before you get into ed. * Do not take AMBIEN unless you are able to stay in bed a full night (7-8 hours) before you must be active again. « For faster sleep onset, AMBIEN should NOT be taken with or immediately after a meal.* Call your doctor if your insomnia worsens or is not better within 7 to 10 days. This may mean that there is another condition causing your sleep problem. » If you take too much AMBIEN or overdose, call your doctor or poison control center right away, or get emergency treatment. What are the possible side effects of AMBIEN? Serious side effects of AMBIEN include: » getting out of bed while not being fully awake and do an activity that you do not know you are doing, (See “What is the most important information | should know about AMBIEN?) abnormal thoughts and __ behavior. Symptoms include more outgoing or aggres- sive behavior than normal, confusion, agita- tion, hallucinations, worsening of depression, and suicidal thoughts or actions. memory loss anxiety severe allergic reactions. Symptoms include swelling of the tongue or throat, trouble breathing, and nausea and vomiting, Get emergency medical help if you get these symptoms after taking AMBIEN. Call your doctor right away if you have any of the above side effects or any other side effects that worry you while using AMBIEN. The most common side effects of AMBIEN are: drowsiness dizziness diarrhea “drugged feelings” You may still feel drowsy the next day after taking AMBIEN. Do not drive or do other dangerous activities after taking AMBIEN until you feel fully awake. After you stop taking a sleep medicine, you may have symptoms for 1 to 2 days such as: trouble sleeping, nausea, flushing, lightheaded- ness, uncontrolled crying, vomiting, stomach cramps, panic attack, nervousness, and stom- ach area pain. These are not all the side effects of AMBIEN. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. How should | store AMBIEN? * Store AMBIEN at room temperature, 68° to 77°F (20° to 25°C). + Keep AMBIEN and all medicines out of reach of children. General Information about AMBIEN * Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Medication Guide. + Do not use AMBIEN for a condition for which it was not prescribed * Do not share AMBIEN with other people, even if you think they have the same symp- toms that you have. It may harm them and it is against the law. This Medication Guide summarizes the most important information about AMBIEN. If you would like more information, talk with your doctor. You can ask your doctor or pharmacist for information about AMBIEN that is written for healthcare professionals. For more informa- tion about AMBIEN, cali 1-800-633-1610. What are the ingredients in AMBIEN? Active Ingredient: Zolpidem tartrate Inactive Ingredients: hydroxypropyl methyl- cellulose, lactose, magnesium stearate, micro-crystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol, sodium starch glycolate, and titanium dioxide. In addition, the 5 mg tablet contains FD&C Red No. 40, iron oxide colorant, and polysorbate 80. Rx Only This Medication Guide has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC Bridgewater, NJ 08807 June 2008 AMB-JUNE08-M-Acx Spring Forward—but \. Watch Your Heart jurning, the clock forward for day- I light saving time is a nuisance and a sleep thief—and now it seems it’s also bad for your heart. Analyzing 20 years of data, scientists in Sweden found that the number of heart attacks typically rises 6 to 10 percent for the three days after clocks jump forward; the day after the clocks are set back each fall, heart attacks fall by 5 percent. A lack of sleep may be to blame for the danger, says study coauthor Imre Janszky, MD, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm—other studies have shown that chronic sleep deprivation is hard on the heart. This year, hit the sack early after resetting your clock. But you may not have to fret about your bedtime forever. The Swedish statistics suggest that people over 65 are less apt to be harmed by the time change— perhaps because retired folks are less tied to the clock. Elena Rover Superbug Getting Supersized When it comes to super- bugs, Clostridium difficile is ascary one: A major cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, it attacks the walls of the intestine and can even be fatal. Now a study finds that the hospi- tal infection rate is up to 90 20 times higher than origi _ have a cold or the flu. If nally thought. The bug you're hospitalized, ask likely infects more than doctors and nurses to wash 7,000 patients each day— __ their hands and don gloves and may cause 300 deaths —_ before examining you. And or more. Taking antibiotics _if you develop diarrhea helps C. diff get afoothold, _ within eight weeks of taking good reason not to push antibiotics, remind your for aprescription when you doc about the prescription. readersdigest.com 3/0 MANFRED J, BAIL/JUPITER IMAGESAdvances in Osteoarthritis Skip the Supplements? | Grape Afew years ago, the large arthritis study known as | Expectations GAIT delivered disappointingnews: Glucosamine and (are grapes more than chondroitin sulfate didn’t ease painin peoplewith mild merely tasty? Whenre- arthritis, though the combo did seem to help people searchers at Johns Hopkins with severe discomfort. New GAIT results further | University tested grape erode hopesfor the supplements, whichdor’tappear powder on rats with to slowcartilage damage—knees showedsimilar wear | arthritis, treated rodents over two years, whether patients took a placebo, a | showed fewer signsof pain prescription painkiller, or supplements. | than those feda placebo. Still, the researchers are reserving final judgment, The scientietealso found partly becauseall volunteers’kneesstayedhealthier | that a pain reliever plus than expected. Looking at small differences (not big grape powder reduced enough to bestatistically reliable), the scientists say discomfort and swelling that patients on glucosamine alone fared best. | more than thepill alone. Patients on glucosamine plus chondroitin did worst of The study was sponsored all—which may mean one supplement interferes | bytheCalifornia Table with the other’s absorption. Grape Commission, so keep an eye out for more studies to confirm the results. In the meantime, Winning Moves Two studies show how to get the biggest benefit from one of the best tools againstarthritis: exercise. itcan’thurt >Researchers know that tomunch strength training helps prevent ongrapes, and ease arthritis in the knees; now a review of 18 or trygrape studies helps target your efforts. Strengthening the seed extract quadriceps (on the front of your thigh) is key. Use ma- @vailable chines, ankle weights, or exercise tubing, or do moves at health like seated leg lifts—just make sure you increase ext) weight or repetitions as you gain strength. >Another way to ease joint pain: Take up tai chi. When researchers compared the flowing moves with a traditional stretching- focused regimen for arthritis, tai chi proved * \ four times as effective at cutting pain, and it doubled the improvement in tasks like walking, and getting up from a chair. 4 a 91People with COPD breathe better with SPIRIVA. If you have a history of smoking and breathing problems, it could be COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). COPD includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema or both. Ask your doctor about SPIRIVA, because it: a Is the only once-daily, inhaled maintenance prescription treatment for both forms of COPD 4 Significantly improves lung function by keeping airways open 4 Helps you breathe better for a full 24 hours 4 Is not a steroid SPIRIVA does not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. Do not swallow the SPIRIVA capsule. The most common side effect of SPIRIVA is dry mouth. Others include constipation and problems passing urine. Tell your doctor about your medicines, including eye drops, and illnesses like glaucoma, urinary and prostate problems. These may worsen with SPIRIVA. If you have vision changes, eye pain, your breathing suddenly worsens, you gel hives, or your throat or tongue swells, stop taking SPIRIVA and contact your doctor. For more information: 1.877.SPIRIVA or SPIRIVA.COM You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see brief summary of full Prescribing Information on reverse. &SPIRIVA HandiHaler” Make a habit of breathing better AS (iotropium bromide inhalation powder)SPIRIVA HandiHaler” (tiotropium bromide inhalation powder) Spiriva’ HandiHaler* opium bromide inhalation powder) Brief Summary of Prescribing Information FOR ORAL INHALATION ONLY DO NOT SWALLOW SPIRIVA CAPSULES INDICATIONS AND USAGE SPIRIVA HanchHaler ttropium bromide inhalation pode) is indicated for ‘he long-term, once-daly, maintenance treatient of bronchospasm assco'= stad with chron ebstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic ‘onchits and emphysema. CONTRANDICATIONS SPIRIVA HandHaer ¢totopium bromide inhalation powder) is conta- indicated inpatients witha story of hypersensitivity toatropine orits deriva tves, including ipratropium, orto any comporent ofthis product. WARNINGS SPIRIVA Handler (itropium bromide inhelation powde) is tended as 8 once-daily maintenance teatment for COPD and isnot indicated forthe hia treatment of acute eptodes of bronchospasm, i, rescue therapy. mediate nyperserstvty reactions, Including angiosdema, may occur after adhinistration of SPIRIVA, If such a reaction occurs, therapy with SPIRIVA should be stopped at once and altemative teatments shovid be considered, Inhaled medicines, includirg SPIRIVA, may cause paradoxical broncho- spasm. Ifthis occur, treatment with SPIRIVA should be stopped and other ‘reatmerts considered. PRECAUTIONS General ‘san antcholinergic drug, SPIRIVA tiotroptum bromide inhalation power) ‘may notentaly wersen symptom and signs associated with narrow-angle Slaucoma, prostatic hyperpasia or Dadder-neck obstruction and should be Used with caution in patients with any ofthese conditions. As a predominartly renaly excreted drug, patients with moderate to ‘severe renal imparment (erathine clearance of <80 mLmin) eated wth SPIRIVA should be monitored closey’ (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Pharmacokinetics, Special Populations, Renaly-imosired Patents). Information for Pationts Fis important for patients tounderstand how to correct administer SPINA capsules using the HandiHsler inhalation device (ace Patient's Instructions. for Use). SPIRIVA capsules should only be administered via the Handle device and the Handa device should not be used fer administering othe medications. The contents of SPIRIVA capsules are for ora inhalation only and must not be swallowed. (Capsules should alvays be stored in sealed pisters, Remove only one capsule immediately before use, cr its effectiveness may be reduced. ‘Additonal capauies that are exposed to alr Le, not intended for immedate 9} should be discarded. Eye pan or discomfort, blured visin, visual halos or colored Images in assocatin with red eyes from conjunctival congestion and comeal edena may be sans of acute nartow-anale glaucoma. Should any of these sions land symptoms develop, consulta ptysician mmediataly. Miote eye drops lone are rot considered to be effectve treatment. Care must be taken not to alow the ponder toenter int the eyes. this ray cause During of vsion and pup alton. SPIRIVA HandiHaler isa once-daly maintenarce bronchodilator and should not be used for immediate reef of breathing problems, Le. a6 a rescue mediation Drug interactions: SPIRIVA has been used coacomitanly with other drugs commonly used in COPD without inceases in adverse drug reactions. These include short- acting and long-acting sympathomimetic (beta-agonsts) bronchodilator, ‘methybxanthines, and ora ad inhaled steroids, However, the co-administa- ton of SPRIVA wit other articholiesgic-containing drugs e.., pratropiem) has. Not been studied and i therefore not recommended. Drug/Laboratory Test Interactions None krown, Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesic, Impairment of Fertility No eviderce of tumorigenicty was daserved ina 104-week inhalation study in rats at iotopium doses up to 0.059 mg/kg/day, in a 83-neek inhalation study in female mice at doses up to 0.145 mg/kg/day, and in @ 101-meek inhalation study in male mice at doses up to 0002 mgixa/day. These doses correspord to 25, 35, and 0.5 times the Recormended Human Daly Dose HDD) en a mgin® bass, respectively. These dose multiples. may be fverestimated doe to dfcuities in measuring deposted doses in anal Inhalation studies. Tlotiopium bromide demonstrated no evidence of mutagenicity or clas ‘ageniaty in the folowing assays: the bacterial gene mutation assay, she \V79 Chinese hamster cell mutagenesis assay, the chromosomal aberration ‘says in human Iymphoeytes in vito and mauce micronucleus fermaton In vivo, and the unscheduled DNA synthesis in primary rat hepatocytes vito assay. In rats, decreases in the number of corpora lstea and the percentage of implants were noted at inhalation tiotopium dases of 0.078 maka/day er ‘greater (aparoximately 25 tines the RHOD on a mg/m basis). No such feflects were observed at 0.009 mg/ke/day (approximately 4 times than the HOD on a mg/m bass). The ferlty index, Powever, was not afected at inhalation doses up to 1.689 mg/kg/day (approximately 760 times the RHDD ‘on a mg/m basis). These dose muiies may be overestimated due to fulton in measuring deposed dosea m anima inhaaten sts Pregnancy Pregnancy Category C. No evidence of stictural alierations was observed in ats and rabbits at inhalation totropium doses of up to 1.471 and 0.007 mg/klday, respec- thely. These doses conespond to approximately 680 and 6 times the ‘recommended human dally dose (RHDD) on a g/m basis. Howeve in rats, {etal resorption, iter oss, decreases in the numberof line pups ai bith and the mean pup weighs, and adelay n pup sexual maturation were observed at inhalatien tiotopum doses of 20.078 mg/kg (aopreximately 25 ties the RHDD on a mgit? bask in rebbta, an iretease In post-implantaion joss was coserved at an inhalation dose of 0.4 mg/kgiday (approximately {30 times the RHDD on a mgim® bass). Such effects were not observed Aatinnalation doses of 0.009 and up to 0.088 mg/kg/day in rats ard rabbits, respectively. These doses correspond to aproximatey 4 and 80 times the HDD on a mgim basis, respectively. These dose muitibles may be oler-estimsted due to difieuies in measuring depasted doses In anima inhalation stuckes, Trere are 70 adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnart women. 'SPIRIVA should be used during pregnancy only if the potential bereft ust fies the poteial risk to the fetus. Use in Labor and Delivery ‘Tre safety and effectiveness of SPIRIVA has not been stucked during labor ard dave. Nursing Mothers Glnical data from nursing women exposed to tiatropium are not available. Based on lactating rodent studies, otopium is excreted nto breast mil ts net known whether tottopium is excreted in human mik, but because mary drugs are excreted h human milk ard given these findings in ras, caution should be exercised SPIRIV is administered to a nursng woman Pediatric Use| 'SPIRIVA HardiHale is appreved for use in the maintenance treatment ot bronchespasm associated with chrenie obstuctive pulmonary daca, incding chronic bronchitis ard emphysema The disease does net normally ‘eccur in cildren. The safely and efectveness of SPIRIVA In pedate patients have rot beon established, Geriatric Use (Othe tota number of patterts who received SPIRIVA inthe 1-year clinical tale, £26 were <65 years, 375 were 65-74 years and 105 were >75 years of ‘age. Within each age subgroup, there were no differences between the pro- Prion ot patents intn adverse events n the SPIFIVA Rltroplum Dromice inhalation powder) and the comparator groups for most events. Dry mout increased wth age n the SPIRIVA goup (differences ftom placebo were 21096, 17.1%, and 16.0% In the aforementioned age eubgroupe) A higher ‘requency of constipation and urinary tract Infectons with increasing age Was ‘observed inthe SPIRIVA group inthe placebo- controled studies. Th df= lerces from placebo for consipation were 0%, 1.896, ard 7.8% for each of theage groups. The difterences from pacebo for urirary rac infections were 0636, 4.69 and 4.596. No overal dfeerces In flectiveness Were Cctuerved amang these graups. Based on avalabie dat, no adjustment ef 'SPIRIVA dosage n caviar patients is warranted. ‘ADVERSE REACTIONS. (Othe 2,663 patients in the four 1-year and two 6-mont controled clinical tale, 1,908 were treated wth SPIRIVA af the resormended dose of 19 meg ‘ree a day. Patents with narow angle glaucoma, or symptomati prostate hypertrophy obladéer outet obstricton were excluded trom these trials. ‘The most commonly reported adverse drug reaction was dry mouth. Dry mouth wae usually mid and often resolved during continued treatment. (Other reactons reperted in dividual patients and consistent with possiots anticholinagie effects included constpation, increased heart rat, blued ‘sion, glaucoma, unnary effeuty, and urinary retention. Feur mutcenter, 1-year, cortroled studies evaluated SPIRVA in patents wth COPD, Table 1 shows aladverse events that oceured with afequency ‘of 2396 inthe SPIRVA group in the t-year placebo-contoled tals wher the rates in the SPIRIVA group exceeded placebo by 2196. The frequency fof conespending events in the ipratrepium-contoled tials is included forToble 1 Adverse Experience incidence (% Patients] n One-Year-GOPD Clinical Trials Body System (Event) lacebo-Controlled Tals |pratroplum Controlled Tals Placebo SPIRVA Ipratropium Inz37y fet) Body as a Whole ‘Accidents 13 i Chest Pain (non-spectic) 7 5 Edema, Dependent 5 Gastrointestinal System Disorders ‘Abdominal Pain 3 6 6 ‘Gonstisation 2 1 4 Dry Mosth 16 3 2 6 Dyspepsia 5 1 1 Vomiting 2 1 2 Musculoskeletal System yaa 4 3 4 a Resistance Mechanism Disorders Infection Monilasis 4 2 3 Respiratory System (upper Epistaxs 2 1 1 Pharynaltis| 7 7 2 Rhintis 6 3 2 ‘Sinusitis at 9 3 2 Upper Respiatoy Tract Iniection a a 43 35 ‘Skin and Appendage Disorders Rach 4 2 2 2 Urinary System Urinary Tract Infection 7 5 4 2 ‘thts, coughing, and influenza-like symptom occured at arate of 239% inthe SPIRIVA treatment goup, but were <1% n excess ofthe placebo goup. Other events that occurred in the SPIRIVA group at & frequency of 1-39 In the placebo-contoled tials where the rates erceeded that inthe placebo group include: Boy as a Whole: alerge reaction, leg pain; Central and Peripheral Nervous System: dysphonia, paresthesia: Gastntestina! System Disorders: gastrointestinal disorder not otherwise spectied (NOS), gastroesoptageal reflux, stomatitis (reluding ulcerative stomatis); Metabolic and Nutrtonal Disorders: nypercholesteolemia, hyperglycemia; Musculoskeletal System Disorders: skeletal pan; Cardiac Events: angina pectoris (neluding aggtavated angina pectors; Psychiatric Disorder: depression; Infections: herpes zoster Respiratory System Disorder (open: larynais; Vision Disorder tataract. In adalten, among the adverse everts observed inthe clinical vials withan incidence of 1% were ara Hilation, supravent-culartachycarda, fngioedema, and urinary retention, Inte tna, he nice of ¢y mou, constipation. and unary tactnfecon increased wth age (ee PRECAUTIONS, Geriatric Use), “wo mutlzenter G-north, cortoled stuckes ealuated SPIRIVA inpatients with COPD. The adverse events and the incidence aes were smart those see Inthe 1-year contalied tas. The folowing adverse reactions have been identied during worldwide post-approval ise of SPIRIVA: application ste iit tion (glositis, mouth ulceration, and pharyngolaryngeal pain, dizziness, dysphagia, epistaxs, hoarseness, intestinal obstructon including ileus paralytic, Intraccular pressure increased, oal candilasi, palpitations, pruritus, tachyearda, throat iitation, and urticaria DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION SPIRIVA capsules must not be swallowed as the intended effects on the lungs will not be obtained. The contents of the capsules are for oral Inhalation anly (s20 OVERDOSAGE section). The recommended dosage of SPIRIVA Handlialer (tlroplum bromide Inhalation powder fe the Inhalation ef the cartents of ane SPIFIVA capsule, once daly, withthe HareiHaler inhalation device (see Patient's Instructions for Use). No dosage adjustment is required fer geriatric, henatically-impaied, or renaly-impaired patients. However, patlonts with modarate to severe renal impal- mment given SPIRIVA shoule be monitored closely (see CLINIGAL PHARMACOLOGY, Phatmacoknetics, Special Populations ard PRECAUTIONS). How SUPPLIED The folowing packages are avaiable: carton containing 5 SPIRIVA capsules (1 unit dose blister card) and ‘'Handitaer inhalation desice (NDC 0597-0075-75) carton containing 30 SPIRIVA capsuies (@ unt-dose bister cards) and ‘'Handitaierinhabtion desiee (NDC 0597-0075-41) carton containing 30 SPIRIVA capsules @ unt-dose bister cards) and ‘ HandiHaler inhalation desice (NDC 0597-0075-47) sv-es (12:07 68626/US/3 Reonly Ay, 7) ) Boehringer yauneneynentirestenn) (CIA) " CB cteormmpmrenmorntn| (CD pete il) ectness sPuoD4t Conwisht ©2008, Boehringer Ingotem Pharmaceuticals, nc Alriahs reserve. (3/08) svst8a7ter 96 Pine eceeeAdvertisement Going the Extra Mile In today’s economy, the focus is on saving—saving time, saving energy and saving money. Extend your mileage both on and off the road with a little help from GEICO. + SLOW DOWN to optimize gas ‘ mileage, which decreases at PREMIUM asain etcaar a -_ + AVOID FREQUENT STARTS AND. $ STOPS while driving to increase Rhee gas mileage up to 5 percent. von — + USE CRUISE CONTROL on the HEeBe Sean highway to improve the fuel economy of your car. Beg tes sk + AVOID LOADING YOUR ROOF RACK, which creates wind resistance and can decrease fuel economy by 5 percent. + CLOSE WINDOWS when driving at highway speeds to reduce air drag and increase fuel mileage by 10 percent. + TURN OFF YOUR ENGINE when idling to save fuel. Insuring drivers since 1936GET MOVING WITH GEICO GEICO, a subsidiary of Berkshire PEE CVMER Unease Ti -autlog ETUC cat Un USP L 219) Le oa force growth of 8.8 percent in 2007. A.M. Best, a leading independent analyst fe) MESO ce ae LOT tm mee Cale given GEICO its highest A++ rating for financial stability. Only 5 percent of Property and Casualty companies earn i SUT Cmca s GET MORE WITH GEICO IN ADDITION TO AUTO INSURANCE, GEICO OFFERS INSURANCE FOR: + Motorcycles - Allterrain vehicles (ATVs) - Boats + Homes. - Apartments Personal umbrella protection + Life insurance ‘A Dacembe! $1; 2003 coxerimeait Employes nse Company had ‘mtd asses of $1219 lon até polar su of $8.1 bllod (indudng $34 lon paid up apa tosh Tia bites wee $7.8 bil, clang $71 bell inset, Addonal art! nforraion salable a hp fawn com abouticoporate/fnangalifomatch/ Low premiums are no Ye Te-e- 1 LAMONT STEN NCTM Mc mCi Oya Eom Um ie ae] resources to pay your claim. With GEICO, you Cy Mam KOM elaIt’s the money you could be saving with GEICO. GEICO. See how much you could save, visit geico.com or call 1-800-947-AUTO.GEICO. Look at him. He so desperately wants to be yours. WITH GEICO, IT’S EASY TO SAVE. Sure a stack of money in your hands is valuable, but so is your time. And we get that. That’s why it only takes 15 minutes to find out how much money you could save with GEICO. Go to geico.com. Answer some quick questions and you get an accurate rate quote. Then buy online, over the phone, or at a local office — whatever you're most comfortable with — and you could save $500. IT’S NOT JUST SAVINGS. IT’S SAVINGS AND SERVICE. You could save hundreds with GEICO. You know that. But did you also know that GEICO has friendly, 24/7 service with real, live people? They're on the phones at all hours answering your questions. They're even friendly at 4 in the morning. You can also get the help you need at geico.com, anytime day or night. EASY CLAIMS. THAT’S RIGHT, EASY. So you have GEICO’s great rates, you're getting incredibly friendly service, and as the icing on the cake — our claim process is fast and fair. Say you're in an accident. Everyone is OK, thank goodness. You can go home, go on geico.com, report the claim and schedule an appointment. Later, you can go back online and print out your estimate and see photos of the damage. Then you can go to one of our GEICO-approved shops and your claim repairs are guaranteed for as long as you own your car. Easy. DEPENDABILITY. IT’S WHAT WE’RE MADE OF. Some people see GEICO as a “new” insurance company. The thing is, we’ve been consistently protecting drivers and delivering great value for more than 70 years. So you can count on us for the long term without a doubt. See how much you could save, visit geico.com or call 1-800-947-AUTO. Obtenga una cotizaci6n gratis en espanol en miGEICO.com. Sone scours. cages ayes lanes ant aniae nal sts GO ampanes rage vings ase ECD Ne Pozo Suey a creo gust 008 ECD at sae et rae as. Coreen xls race Ce SED Geen Iurane GEN emmy Cx «GED Cay x Ths conan are subsdares of Bafa Hatha GEC: Washingt 0 2075 20a ecoAdvertisement LOVU Your Guide to What's Happening Now. Promise® 9 out of 10 cardiologists endorse the Promise? brand of soft spreads for their patients based on rutrition information." * Beco cn @ national suey 0326 carddogsts. aise haps manian heart heath when used place a butter er margatine as pat of 2 Gat low i saturated fat, ransfat and choester. Promise® Buttery Spread contains 8 g fat ard 1.8 g saturated iat por serving The Great State of Texas ‘Texas vacations are filled with possibilities. And your FREE Texas State Travel Guide is filled with information. Call 1-800-8888-TEX, ext. 5033, or visit TravelTex.com. Ati lies a whole other counbiyy Log on to readersdigest.com/connections for more!WHAT IT IS, WHERE IT IS, AND HOW TO GET IT. HOW TO MAKE A LAYOFF PAY OFF, RECHARGE YOUR RESUME, AND USE THE HARDEST- WORKING WEBSITES. Banks tank, stocks plunge, companies limp, jobs disappear—whether you're the CEO at Circuit City or the salad spinner at Applebee's. And experts predict that the waves of unwelcome economic news will keep cresting and crashing all year. Nearly 2.6 million jobs disappeared in 2008, the worst annual drop since World War Il. Hourly employees are working (and mak- ing) less. The new unemployment rate: a whopping 7.2 percent. Right now, if you count part-time workers and people who 98 have simply given up on finding a job, the number balloons to 13.5 percent of the U.S. population. People who don’t have jobs, of course, tend not to have money. People without money buy fewer things. Less spending means more busi- nesses lay off more people ... and, well, you can see where this is heading. With so many people looking for so few jobs and trying to navigate rules and resources that are constantly changing, you need help. We've gathered the latestBY CATHIE GANDEL AND HILARY STERNEeel Reader’s Digest asked this “panel of job pros to share m fh) their best advice in the tip boxes that follow. Sh€ Mark Anderson, ExecuNet, a business and career network Anita Attridge, the Five O'Clock Club, an outplacement and career counseling network Jo Bennett, executive search firm Battal Winston International Gary Burnison, search firm Korn) Ferry International John Challenger, Chalenger, Gray & christmas, an outplacement firm Debra Feldman, the JobWhiz, an ‘executive talent agency Dennis Garritan, hurran resources master’s programs, New York University Katharine Hansen, Quintessential Careers, ajob search resource Randall Hansen, Quintessential Careers Paul Mathews, Hire Aspirations, a ‘career coaching and outplacement firm Caroline Nahas, KoraFerry Stephen Rosen, lia Paul Associates, a career management firm Nancy Salzman, business, manage- ment, and legal programs, University of California, Irvine Extension Bettina Seidman, seidbet associates, a career coaching firm Laurence Shatkin, coauthor, 150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs Cheryl Lynch Simpson, Coaching SclutionsFor Women.com Bob Skladany, Retirementiobs.com, a job site for people over 50 Trudy Steinfeld, NYU's Wasserman Center for Career Development Laurence Stybel, Stybe! Peabody Lincolnshire, an executive career consulting firm Elaine Varelas, Keystone Partners, @ career management frm Peter Weddle, Weddle’s, a research, publishing, consulting, and training firm Emily Westerman, Office of Career Management at NYU's Schoo! of Contin- Ling and Professional Studies Michael Worthington, Resume Doctor.com S13 advice from the professionals (human resources experts, career coaches, and headhunters) and visited an endless procession of websites (the topflight as well as the bottom-feeders). We interviewed job seekers across the country and hooked them up with free personalized help from the pros. (And if that’s not enough, there's still more help for everyone, job or no job, at readersdigest.com/job) The Losing a Job section covers warning signs and ways to rethink your career. The next section, Finding a Job, offers practical tips for every aspect of ajob search, Next month, we'll tell you how to care for your career. Whether you're in a cubicle or a corner office—or, at this point, would settle for either—this handbook is definitely help wanted. {THE WARNING SIGNS } When you hear these phrases around the watercooler, it may be too late. But this is what companies are saying these days instead of “firing” or “layoff”: > restructuring plan and resources > restructuring worldwide program > consolidating > company-wide restructuring plan that includes staffing reductions in all divisions > planned reduction > head-count reduction > reduction in force > rightsizing > smartsizing Also, from the blog of Stanford management professor Robert |. ;, Sutton: > reducing our current employee total > offboarded > global workforce > rebalancing the level reduction and of human capital alignment > We've decided to > repositioning go in another > aligning operations directionWHICH JOBS WILL GO FIRST Isyour job leaving on a jet plane? Don’t know when it'll be back again? Well, if it’s any solace, at least you’re not alone. More and more jobs are heading to foreign shores, and over the next six years, out- sourcing is expected to expand in numbers and scope, according to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Forrester Research. Which positions are most likely to be outsourced? Technical jobs that depend on low-skill labor, can be broken down into segments, and don’t require collaboration, like getting information into and out of databases (think call centers and information technology support). Jobs that require staffers to show up and 4, a work alongside others are less eH iN susceptible to outsourcing. But, the report warns, jobs requiring more creativity and decision making aren’t necessarily safe. ‘An online newspaper, California’s Pasadena Now, hires workers in India to cover the local news. No, that’s not a misprint. Reporters send their notes and background informa- tion to India, where six writers crank out copy. Some companies are even outsourcing areas like drug development and market research. There is a positive side to all the outsourcing, though: These offshore projects will always need on- site managers. c.g. HIRE (ME! RJ Panda, 26 Queens, New York Field: business Unemployed since: May 2008 “| graduated from New York Univer- sity with an MBA in May. ’'m pas- sionate about the energy industry, and I’ve learned an incredible amount on my own by doing informational interviews. I've told employers that I'm willing to work without a salary, on a trial basis. This approach has opened up doors already. | know I’m competing with candidates who have 20 years of experience. But I’m hoping someone will take a chance on me.” FREE MUNCIE (from Lau rence Stybel): “You're asking for a commitment at atime in the economy when people are scared to make one. Tell the person that you're willing to work two days a week for three months, then you want to be paid. And ‘payment’ consists of a job title appropriate to your role and a glowing reference from the boss toa hiring au- thority at another company. You're pitching ano-cest, time- bounded project instead of a long-term relationship. You’ll get a title and reference that will help you get a paying job.” ieKimberly Groff, 38 McKeesport, Pennsylvania Field: information technology Unemployed since: November 2008 “| was laid off from two jobs last year due to cut- backs and the outsourcing of IT jobs to India. ’'m atechnical analyst for software companies. | have a degree in medical secretarial work, but | couldn’t find a job. | ended up taking a part-time position as a secretary for an IT firm. | worked my way up, teaching myself programming and analysis. | could get ajob consulting, but that’s not steady work. | need health insurance and a regular paycheck. I’m hoping to find a job before | have to dip into savings.” (from Paul Mathews): “if you're great at technical analyst roles and love them, that is what you should pursue. If you love medical secretarial work, you should pursue that. But it might be a great idea to combine the two and look at technical analyst roles in health care. Health care and informat- ics are still good industries. Among all the job boards are some niche sites, like dice.com, that focus on technical roles.” WHEN TO HIREA CAREER COACH “Being laid off is a fact of business today,” says Elaine Varelas of Keystone Partners. “It’s not personal.” But that doesn’t mean it’s any less of a shock. Career coaches can help you navigate almost everything: handling emotions, defining skills and goals, and even adapting to a new workplace. When you're competing with top talent, the old saying is even more important: You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. “That's why it’s ‘¢A CAREER COACH CAN HELP YOU DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.’ important to have your act together,” says Bettina Seidman. “A career coach can help you do it right the first time.” That includes working with you to hone your two-minute pitch so you can quickly and effectively describe yourself and your accomplish- ments, prepping you for the in- terview, and proofreading your résumé to catch the typos that can torpedo your chances. “You can get a lot of informa- tion on the Web or in books,” says Cheryl Lynch Simpson. “But a coach can help you apply that information to your situation and work with you to create your unique ‘brand?” Before you sign on with a coach, ask for his or her credentials and check the bio and client infor- mation, advises readersdigest.com 3/29Anita Attridge. Also, “ask to contact previous clients.” There is no governing body that certifies coaches. The Career Management Alliance (careermanagement alliance.com) and Career Directors International (careerdirectors.com) have directories, but the best way to find someone is through word of mouth, says Simpson. And experience is more important than certification. Some coaches charge up-front fees that range from $5,000 to $20,000. Hourly fees run between $100 and $500. Clients looking to change jobs may need four to six hours; to change careers, 10 to 14 hours; to get performance coaching, three to six months. “Make sure the coach doesn’t insist you start from scratch if you have already done some of the footwork,” Attridge says. ca. HOW TO USE CAREER-MATCHING SITES | Maybe that job you just lost wasn’t really right for you in the first place. Maybe now is the time to evalu- ate your true interests and the jobs that might match up with them. You can start with these online aids. > profiler.com Artifacts conservator or airline me- chanic? This site uses the reputable Campbell Interest and Skill Survey, a 320-question multiple-choice test, to winnow nearly 60 occupations and find the best bets for you, using the responses of people employed in those fields as a metric. Cost: $18—and worth it if you're looking for any and all clues to self-knowledge. > vocationvacations.com These guys will arrange for you to spend a weekend—at a cost of several hundred to a few thousand dollars—with someone who does exactly what you think you might want to do, whether that’s acting or alpaca farming. Profiles introduce the mentors—an archaeologist, a land- scape designer, a dog trainer, or a coffeehouse owner, to name a few of the 150-plus possibilities and describe what you'll do together. HS. “if you sense your time is up at your current job, don’t be afraid to present options: Could | take a pay cut? How about unpaid leave? Is relocat- ing an option? Could | work for the company as a consultant?” Gary Burnison IAA “if you can get over the fear of telling people you're out of work, you'll be more success- ful at finding your next job.” John Challenger SLuadX4 SHL “Get a temp job. It canlead to a full-time opportunity.” Michael Worthington “Maintain your relationship with your employer and your colleagues. Ask them for help but not with a hat-in-hand attitude. Remind them that they have worked alongside you and know your strengths.” Paul Mathews “Volunteering helps to struc- ture your time and relieve the sense of isolation. And it offers networking possibilities, But it should not be in place of the job search.” Emily Westerman ‘THE READER'S DIGEST VERSION DON’T STAY IN A BUNKER. BE PREPARED, PROACTIVE, AND POSITIVE. Mark Anderson 103,“A job posting is all about {HOW LONGIT WILL TAKE YOU TO tomorrow, andarésuméisall GET BACK TOWORK about yesterday. Make your You may need three months to get an entry-level résumé future-focused, position, but landing an executive spot may require a oe new eae ae six- to twelve-month search, says Cheryl Lynch Simp- Seay ana oe), son. In fact, one popular rule of thumb suggests you marry yourself up with what should expect to search one to two months for every «the employers looking for” $14 400 in salary you want (a $50,000 job could mean Paul Mathews a Five- to ten-month hunt). Employers are taking their “Use at least 11-point type time. In past years, they were willing to fast-track but no underlining, graphics, hiring before competitors could boldface, or bullets. Send it as snatch up the best candidates, part of an e-mail and not as says Michael Erwin of career an attachment.” Peter Weddle builder.com. But now em- ployers scrutinize applicants in several rounds of inter- views before investing money and manpower to train them. The good news is that you likely don't have to pack “Read the job description and use the same words. If the ad specifies ‘instructor, don’t write trainer?” Anita Attridge “Don’t use a bunch of buzz- words like good team mem- ber, problem solver, self motivated. You're not telling me anything, Be specific. your bags and Describe your accomplish- move across several states to find work, ments, not your duties. Quantify your experience.” Michael Worthington hiring rates are about the same around the country. ‘THE READER'S DIGEST VERSION Age can be a plus DON’T USE too. “With the 55-plus LOWER-LEVEL set retiring, you're VERBS FOR HIGHER- going to see a focus LEVEL ACTIVITY— on bringing many of ‘|ADMINISTERED” a temporary or fexbl INSTEAD OF schedule so they can ‘| DIRECTED’ teach the younger gen- POWER VERBS eration,” says Erwin. ARE CRITICAL. Cheryl Lynch Simpson 104{YOURE TF EBSITE } Sometimes a paper résumé is just so 20th-century. Thanks to hosting sites like visualcv.com, coroflot .com, and carbonmade.com, you don’t have to be tech-savvy to create a digital résumé or e-portfolio. And you control access, unlike with a personal web- site. Start with your résumé, then add supporting information—examples of your work, sales charts, published articles, letters of recommendation, images, or videos. “It’s an opportunity to build your personal brand,” says Pierce Resler of VisualCv. Studies show that hiring managers and recruiters Google many job seekers to see their online presence. IFyou're considering creating a personal website, reserve your domain name today, says Randall Hansen. (Try godaddy.com or register.com. You'll pay as little as $9.99 a year.) CG. {POWERING UP YOUR RESUME } Career coach Elaine Varelas has a simple “so what?” test that she thinks every line of a résumé should pass: “If you say, ‘| managed six people, ask yourself, ‘So what? But saying ‘I managed six people with no turnover’ does answer the question. Résumés are all about results.” You'll also want to use strong, specific action verbs to highlight your results. “Worked, for instance, is a weak and overused word,” says Randall Hansen. “Use collaborated or led.” Here are a few more verbs that can help put the action back into your job search: > accelerated established > negotiated accomplished | > expanded operated collaborated formulated presented constructed >generated _—> produced created implemented > streamlined designed improved > supervised > developed initiated tracked devised launched wrote drafted managed CG. Michael Durwin, 39 Brighton, Massachusetts Field: graphic design Unemployed since: December 2008 “| was the creative director of a small advertising agency and helped build it into an award- winning organiza- tion. A layoff never comes at a good time, ’m a new dad, and my wife, who’s also in design, had her hours cut. We may have to sell our house or our cars, defer school loans, and possibly default on credit card debt. “| was a Web designer during the dot-com crash. To find a job then, | expanded my skill base. ’'m now proficient in all types of design. I'll continue to look for full-time jobs and freelance work. lm hoping some agency or company will see the value of a guy like me.” (from Elaine Varelas): “In this market, you'll need to continue developing cutting-edge skills and broaden- ing the types of organizations you'll consider, Look at part- time and consulting jobs at smaller companies or organiza- tions that would love to have your expertise but might never be able to afford a full-time person. Nonprofits, including those in higher education, might be a place to start.” Read what may be the world’s worst résumé and cover letter atRECESSION-PROOF CAREERS {9HOT JOB FIELDS } These industries project promise—and jobs—for the future, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov) and the Occupational Information Network (onetcenter.org) database. EDUCATION Math and science teachers will be in demand as the US. struggles to compete with other countries in engineering, technology, and medicine. A growing immigrant population means more English-as~ second-language classes will be needed. > Postsecondary teachers Median salary: $56,120 Education: bachelor’s degree and often a master’s or doctorate > Teacher assistants Median salary: $21,580 Education: some post- secondary education or vocational training > Educational, voca- tional, and school counselors Median salary: $49,450 Education: secondary edu- cation, associate’s, bache- lor’s, or master’s ENERGY Some of the jobs in this field are the result of projects started a year ‘or more ago. But the real boost will come from the new administration’s commitment to a more efficient national energy system. “Growth of energy consumption around the world will keep this sector strong,” says Laurence Shatkin, coauthor of 150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs. > Power plant operators Median salary: $56,640 Education: vocational training and several years of on-the-job training > Insulation workers Median salary: $31,280 Education: secondary education and vocational training > Electrical power-line installers and repairers Median salary: $52,570 Education: vocational training and several years of on-the-job training ENVIRONMENT Green is getting the green light in a nationwide push to make homes and office buildings more energy- efficient and to develop alternative energy sources (solar, wind, nuclear) as well as fuel cell technology. “Anything involved with wind power, either the design or related prod- ucts, will be big,” says Laurence Stybel. > Environmental scientists Median salary: $58,380 Education: master’s > Environmental engineers Median salary: $72,350Education: bachelor’s > Financial advisers GOVERNMENT . Median salary: $67,660 More than half a million > Hydrologists : : ; ‘ Education: bachelor’s federal employees will re- Median salary: $640 tire by 2016, leaving open Education: master’s > Accountants and tee ee Baise positions at agencies from FINANCIAL SERVICES the CIA to AmeriCorps to Median salary: $57,060 Rising from the ashes of 4 * NASA. There will also be Se Education: bachelor’s A avery bad year, financial opportunities at the state services havea bright fu _——> Sales agents (secu and local levels. “In addi- ture. Corporate America’s _ ties and commodities) tion to police work and wretched excessesmean Median salary: $68,430 homeland security, gov- more government regula- Education: bachelor’s ernment inspects and reg- tion. Workers who are o ulates many industries,” retiring will need advice says Shatkin. “Workers on howto make can sometimes capitalize their money last. on their experience in an Small busi- industry by moving into nesses may a regulatory job.” outsource accounting > Government property inspectors Median salary: $48,400 Education: vocational training, associate’s or bachelor’s services. As we get to the middle of the recession, there will be a wave of mergers and acquisitions, Stybel predicts. “People with experience in manag- ing the process—corporate attorneys, investment bankers, and account- ants—will be in de- mand” > Immigration and customs inspectors Median salary: $59,930 Education: bachelor’sHIRE ME! Catherine Olohan, 53 North Arlington, New Jersey Field: human resources/ finance/administration Unemployed since: April 2007 “After 34 years with Verizon, | took a retirement package. It was my chance to get my pension and benefits for life. I received eight months of salary, but that money is gone. My background is primarily in human resources as a benefits specialist. What’s hindering me the most now is that | don't have a college degree. I’m thinking of going back to school, but it’s so expensive. My husband works, but one income isn’t enough. Ym looking for anything” FREE AEWIEE (fromJo Bennett): “You should have many opportunities in the health insurance field because of your background. Consider approaching insurance compa- nies about openings in their claims or sales departments. There may be opportunities with consulting firms that help people understand and use their health care benefits. Rather than just getting a busi- ness or liberal arts degree, con- sider training to be a nurse or a medical assistant, since there are severe shortages.” > Urban and regional planners Median salary: $57,970 Education: master’s HEALTH CARE Health care pops up at the top of just about every list of hot careers. All of us are getting older and living longer, sometimes with chronic health conditions. What’s more, health insurance practices may undergo a radical revi- sion during the Obama administration, which has announced plans to address three central issues: coverage, cost, and quality of care. “Health care is a growing industry,” says Bettina Seidman, “and not just for health care profes- sionals. There will also be jobs for secretaries, accountants, and administrators.” > Registered nurses Median salary: $60,010 Education: associate’s or bachelor’s > Dental assistants Median salary: $31,550 Education: secondary education, plus a few months to one year of on-the-job training > Medical records and health information technicians Median salary: $29,290 Education: associate’s INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Corporations, consulting firms, nonprofits, and even governments are going after global markets. People with international expertise, foreign-language skills, or a willingness to move abroad will be in demand. “The global economy is only going to grow,” says John Challenger. “U.S. involve- ment will expand, short and long term.” > Interpreters and translators Median salary: $37,490 Education: bachelor’s > International man- agement analysts Median salary: $71,150 Education: bachelor’s or master’s > Market research analysts Median salary: $60,300 Education: bachelor’s or master’s LAW ENFORCEMENT International terrorismmakes daily headlines, and fear of financial inse- curity is matched only by concern for our physical safety. “Crime doesn’t go down in a recession.” says Shatkin. “It may even increase.” > Probation officers Median salary: $44,510 Education: bachelor’s > Court reporters Median salary: $45,330 Education: postsecondary vocational training > Paralegals Median salary: $44,990 Education: associate’s degree in paralegal studies TECHNOLOGY New uses of technology in services and products like electronic health records mean that this sector will continue to be strong. “We have just begun to use the Internet as an entertainment medium in publishing, music, and film,” says Peter Weddle. > Computer systems analysts Median salary: $73,090 Education: bachelor’s > Network systems and data communica- tions analysts Median salary: $64,600 Education: bachelor’s > Computer, ATM, and office machine repairers Median salary: $37,100 Education: high school or vocational training And We'll Always Be Looking For ... “Think of basic human needs, the things we can’t do without,” says Shatkin. They provide what he calls “little islands” of employment in this economy. For example, he says, we will always need sewage and water treatment. Chal- lenger says the food industry is a core area: “People have to eat, and the global population is increasing?” In adown economy, people don’t buy new cars—they repair their old ones. People turn to their clergy for comfort. Funeral directors will always have jobs. And since pets are very much a part of the family, vet- erinarians and veterinary technicians will continue tobeindemand. c.c. “Practice answering the ques- tion ‘Tell me about yourself? Include your experience, accomplishments, skills and abilities, and education.” Bettina Seidman “Seventy percent of job descriptions fail to specify the industry. Go to the corporate website and check. You'd bet- ter know before you go to the interview whether it’s a job in real estate or transportation.” Michael Worthington “Dress like it’s 2009. Have a list of questions you want to ask but not about things you can learn from the website. An example: ‘I see that you have contributed to such and such charity. What other proj- ects give you such a strong reputation?” Elaine varetas “Practice alone in front of a mirror or with a friend. Many very intelligent, highly suc- cessful people think they can go unprepared. Those who shoot from the hip usually shoot themselves in the foot.” Stephen Rosen THE READER'S DIGEST VERSION SHOW ENTHUSIASM IN THE INTERVIEW, THANK-YOU LETTER, AND FOLLOW-UPS. Paul Mathews 109{WHAT WORK-AT-HOME JOBS ARE ALL ABOUT } Ifyourre willing to do your homework and use com- mon sense, you can find real toil-from-your-dining- table jobs, ranging from telemarketing and virtual assistance to software development and graphic design. It will also take you only a few clicks to see scams worthy of a loan- seeking Nigerian prince. “Any kid in his basement can make a decent-looking website,” warns Alison Southwick of the Better Business Bureau. Indeed, one industry observer put the ratio of scams to legitimate jobs at anastonishing 54 to 1 (Check out BBB guidelines by going to bbb.org/ library.) And no matter what, don’t send anyone money, account numbers, or your Social Security number until you're well along in the hiring process and know exactly whom you are dealing with. Arise.com, working solutions.com, liveops.com, alpineaccess.com, and westathome.com special- ize in outsourced call center jobs that can be done from home and generally pay $7 to $14 an hour. Read the fine print, though, and you'll find that some pay only per minute you're on the phone (like LiveOps, which takes calls for infomercial cus- others guarantee an hourly rate. There can be charges for a background and credit check (not un- usual in this industry) as well as training, incorpora- tion, and equipment fees: a headset ($75 or so), high- speed Internet access, a dedicated landline, and current software. Then there are sites such as virtualassistants .com and tjobs.com, which are in effect job boards that charge a fee for access to listings. The trade-off is that you don’t have to weed through postings to find ones geared toward home workers and there are fewer scam listings. But anyone willing to do the work can generally find the same listings on free job boards, then do the due diligence him- or herself. Momcorps.com isa free job board geared toward stay-at-home mothers as well asa staffing service that lets you post a detailed profile. Pay $9.95 a month and your profile jumps to the top of an employer’s search. Virtual marketplace sites—like elance.com,‘Some of the most attractive work-at-home jobs can be found at vipdesk.com, which hires odesk.com, and guru .com—link up freelancers who have specialized skills (like video editing, blog writing, or Web de- virtual personal assis- veloping) with employers _ tants for clients. The by having candidates bid catch? You need to sub- for jobs. Grumblers complain that they're competing with offshore workers who give lowball figures to win assign ments. Sometimes the better listings cost extra—from $9.95 per month to $129.94 per quarter, depending on your field and the site. mit a résumé and writing sample, agree to a back- ground and credit check, interview by phone twice, train for ten days, provide references, and be available to work nights, weekends, and holidays. And you may have to wait. Hourly pay is $14 to $20. HLS. i, WHAT HAPPENS AT A JOB FAIR + The word fair doesn’t exactly describe the events that bring together recruiters and job seekers, or even your odds of landing a job offer at this venue. Today, fewer companies send fewer recruiters to these meet-and-greet gatherings, which are drawing larger numbers of applicants. Still, if you're looking for an entry-level position, a mid-level career change, or a job in a specific geographic area, a job fair may come under the “leave no stone unturned strategy,” says John Challenger. Bob Westerkamp, general manager of Targeted Job Fairs, offers these tips: > Preregister online to avoid the lines, and research the companies you want to approach. > Dress as though you're going on a job interview. You are. > Take multiple copies of your résumé. > Arrive early to get the complete list of jobs that recruiters are offering that day. > Network with everyone, not just recruiters. c.G. Jeff Randa, 52 Chicago, Illinois Field: sales and marketing Unemployed since: June 2008 “Losing my job didn’t come as a surprise. | figured out what | wanted in my next posi- tion—location, salary, responsibil- ities—and then | A started reaching out to my network. | don’t think my age has been an issue. | bring 30 years of sales and mar- keting experience. Employers say, ‘Ineed help, and you're a seasoned guy. So far, I’ve turned down three jobs because | want to stay in Chicago. “Pm spending about 50 hours a week on my job search. The toughest part has been main- taining my energy and upbeat attitude. | try to find time to do something fun every day, whether it’s hitting a few golf balls or riding my motorbike.” (from Bob Skladany): “You certainly have a positive attitude. My major concern is the time you're putting into the search. | encourage you to target your efforts on Chicago-based opportunities. It’s likely that 20 to 30 hours per week of intense, focused effort may be a more sustainable pace until you get that next job.” mMary Ellen Moses, 62 Bellevue, Washington Field: interior design Unemployed since: June 2008 “?ve been in busi- ness for 30 years, but things just dried up last year. Builders and real estate agents would call every week with jobs, but now the phone doesn’t ring at all. ’m still applying for design jobs, but I'd consider a sales position at Ethan Allen at this point. | may have to deliver newspapers; | wouldn’t mind that. | try to stay positive and motivated. Some mornings, | just want to go to work—but | can’t?” (from Cheryl Lynch Simpson): “I would rec- ‘ommend that you have your résumé appraised by a repu- table résumé writer (often a free service) to make sure your career branding and positioning are on target and that you aren’t inadvertently inviting age discrimination or the percep- tion that you're overqualified. If you're overrelying on Internet job boards and not networking or contacting hiring managers and recruiters, you are not accessing the hidden job mar- ket, the jobs that are currently available but not advertised outside the company.” {ONLINE JOB RESOURCES } Pounding the pavement for work has been trumped by pounding the keyboard. But with 50,000 career-related sites to click on, where’s a wage earner to start? If you're new to the game, try the clearing- houses of helpful infor- mation first (for afew examples, see the opposite page). > Then go to the big job identifying details, such ‘as your name, home address, home phone number, etc., with your new e-mail address. Don’t refer to your cur- rent employer by name, either; describe it in general terms. And to further ensure that your current boss or HR manager won't stumble onto your ré- sumé, use the blocking ¢¢BETTER KEYWORDS MEAN A HIGHER CHANCE YOULL TRIGGER AS IGII boards, the aggregators (they search listings on the major job sites), and sites with a broad focus and a similarly broad reach. Next, turn your atten- tion to sites devoted specifically to jobs in your field or your hometown. But first things first: For privacy and security, set up a separate e-mail account used solely when wearing your job hunter's hat—with a professional-sounding name and address (not “totalhottie897”). Replace 39> feature many sites have to restrict access. Give thought to key- words, those searchable terms that will deter- mine whether your résumé is plucked from the ether. Put these in either your job descrip- tion or a series at the bottom of your résumé preceded by the word keywords. The better your list, the higher the chances that you'll trig- ger a search engine match. Describe yourself as precisely as possible, using job titles, special- ties, skills, award names, readersdigest.com 3/29acronyms, and trade- marked products if appli- cable (not “software engineer,” but “principal IT software system engi- neer, developer, skilled in Java with strategic knowl- edge of J2EE and senior management experience’ Browse postings and bor- row words from ones you'd want to pursue. FIRST STOP: THE CLEARINGHOUSES These umbrella sites gather valuable informa- tion, statistics, advice, and links to even more resources under one URL. They're the place to bone up before plunging in. > job-hunt.org Don't let the tiny type turn you off. This free employment por- tal is vacuum-packed with solid advice (including a great list of tips for self- promotion without self- puffery) and links to 11,000 employers and job search resources. > careerjournal.com Even those without “exec- utive vice president” on their business cards will find useful content at this offering from the Wall Street Journal, including articles from the paper itselfand more than 125,000 listings, most for senior executives. > quintcareers.com A staggering 3,500 pages of content can be viewed at this award-winning site, including “best of” job site compilations and links, tutorials, and advice aimed at everyone from students to career switchers. ‘SUPERSITE ME: THE BIG JOB BOARDS > monster.com Like Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock: slick, hefty, powerful, and often annoying. The best-known of the supersites, with at least 200 million postings, has a tedious registration process and more pop-ups thana toaster. But the sheer volume of listings (which you can search quickly or by using more specific criteria), plus an easy résumé-upload feature, makes it worth a look. > careerbuilder.com ‘Owned jointly by three major newspaper chains, this meat-and-potatoes site posts not only paid listings but also classifieds from 200 papers across the country. Consequently, there are more clerical and blue-collar positions than at other sites. > hotjobs.yahoo.com Less spam (though plenty of ads), a pleasant inter- face, and seemingly fewer bogus listings distinguish this Internet portal’s megaboard, where you can save searches, see the number of times your résumé is viewed, and sign up for e-mail alerts, AGGREGATOR SITES: THE MAJOR JOB SEARCH ENGINES indeed.com The home page couldn’t be simpler: What/Where/Find Jobs. You can drill down deep at this banner-ad-free search engine, zeroing in on rele- vant jobs among the one million plus in the index by salary, location within five miles, and more. > simplyhired.com It’s easy to use the intuitive interface to search every- thing that’s out there (the good, the bad, and the Ponzi) at this site— which indexes more than three million jobs—and then tailor the results, filtering by job type, edu- cation, work experience, company name, revenue, size, or other characteris-“Work your way around the system. Call the per- son you want to see from your cell phone outside the building, say you're downstairs, and ask if he or she can give you just a few minutes. Don’t go ‘on the job boards until after dinner. Use the daylight hours for more productive activities” John Challenger “Don't limit yourself to networking with your pro- fessional peers. Look to network in adjacent areas. You are less of a threat, and they may be more open to sharing informa- tion. The best way to net- work is to say, ‘Il want to get your advice and counsel about how you see our industry changing once we are out of this recession, How can | position myself for the future?’” Laurence Stybel “Not all jobs require in- dustry experience. There are functional jobs, like ‘THE READER’S DIGEST VERSION human resources, that cut across sectors.” Jo Bennett “Follow up, follow up, fol- low up. By phone. E-mails get lost.” Michael Worthington “The computer scans your résumé, then grades it on points of similarity, so if the ad asks for five to seven years of experience and you say you've got 15 years, the computer will take off points. As a result, you probably won't even make the short list.” Cheryl Lynch Simpson “Even during a recession, people are hiring. It’s not so much your friends as your friends’ friends who may know someone.” Laurence Shatkin “Networking is not the most important thing, It’s the only thing.” Dennis Garritan “Practice the three p's: polite, persistent pings. Stay in consistent contact with employers and peo- ple in your network. A no now doesn’t mean a no forever.” Debra Feldman “Bring the people in your network information they can use to do business better. Networking is a two-way street.” Mark Anderson “Retirees returning to work part-time might consider working only for salary if they already have health benefits through a former employer or through a spouse.” Katharine Hansen “Now is not the time to say, ‘Either I'm getting my dream job or forget it? Ask how you can get a job doing something you like doing, that pays a decent wage, teaches skills, and lets you make connections, so that when the economy gets better, you can be promoted or get the job you really want.” Trudy Steinfeld EMPLOYERS FIND EMPLOYEES THROUGH WORD-OF-MOUTH CONTACTS, EMPLOYEE REFERRALS, AND NETWORKING. IN OTHER WORDS, EITHER NETWORK OR NOT WORK. Stephen Rosentics. The site is linked to the networking site Linkedin. > jobster.com Half job board, half search engine, this site makes you regis- ter to createa résumé but not to search listings by keyword and location or to sign up for alerts. It’s uncluttered and not clunky, but you won't find tons of resources or information here. THE LITTLE GUYS > jobfox.com It’s called the eHarmony of job search sites because it uses a five-point method to match up employers and job hunters in over 300 professions and at over 3,000 companies. Genius idea, but what you gain in relevance, you lose in immediate gratification, which can be frustrating. So can the very long registration process. > eraigslist.org The place where people go to swap their used power tools now draws a fair share of local em- ployers and has become a good source for free- lance types. There are no ads on this no-frills site, just a simple search tool and a flagging system that tends to weed out scammers. > oodle.com Much smaller but craftier than classifieds king Craigslist, this combination classi- fieds board and aggrege- tor indexes mostly non- corporate, nontechnical jobs and organizes them by area. HS. Additional reporting by Neena Samuel and Kathryn M. Tyranski Considering going into business for yourself? Get advice from expert blogger Nell Merlino at readersdigest.com/businessblog, { COMING IN THE APRIL ISSUE } > Tips on keeping a job and caring for your career > Salaries > Where your next job is >When you can finally retire HIRE ME! James Easterlin, 59 Durham, North Carolina Field: investment management Unemployed since: November 2008 “My job search has been easier since the last time | was laid off be- cause I’ve already established my network of con- tacts. People tell me they like my résumé—I have an MBA from Harvard—but that it’s been a tough year for the stock market and there’s a hiring freeze, so let’s talk in the New Year. In the meantime, Pm going to keep networking and reconnect with my career coach. Something’s bound to come up.” FREE MMW (from John Challenger): “Your attitude and confidence are a big plus. Your Harvard Business School net- work is of immense value. Try to see every alum in your area in person. | don’t recommend a consulting assignment or part- time job unless you must bring in income. If so, do the part- time job at night so you won't put off your search during the day. If you know that a prospec- tive boss wants to hire you but can’t get around a hiring freeze, let her know that you’d be happy to defer your compensa- tion until the freeze has lifted.”Banks may be tanking and jobs might be scarce, but there’s one thing that is recession-proof—humor. “When I press this button, activating the trapdoor, this will conclude the exit interview.” “Guess who got promoted to cosmetics research?” “Incentive plan? Your paycheck clears. How’s that for incentive?”5 Great Scott! This 3 f is a job for & in Superman! LusTRaTED BY (cLoc!Dr. Eugene Alford had operated on thousands of patients. When an accident left him paralyzed, he learned about healing from the other side. By Michael Haederle Whenever Eugene Alford needed to relax after a particularly grueling pe- tiod of work, he’d drive to his raneh in Bellville, Texas, 70 miles west of his Houston home, and lose himself in farm chores. He didn’t make it out there a§ often as he would have liked. As a plastic surgeon at Methodist Hospital, he'd performed 800 operations over the previous year. December had been especially/busy, and he was booked solid in the OR for months ahead. So on a chilly Sunday a few days after Christmas, Alford decided to forgo church in favor of a spin around his 80-acre property. At the wheel of his bright-orange tractor, he headed out through the pine bush and mesquite, intending to clear a trail fordeer hunting. 19As he cut through underbrush in the south pasture, Alford brought the trac- tor to a halt in front of a dead white oak standing in his path. He nudged the trunk with the tractor’s front-end loader, expecting the 40-foot tree to topple neatly to the ground. Instead the top half of the oak swayed toward him. In seconds, more than a ton of hardwood slammed down on him, crushing his spine. Pinned to the steering wheel, Al- 120 ford could barely breathe. He tried to hit the brakes, but his legs failed to re- spond. When he found he could move his hands, he turned off the ignition, then with great effort pulled his cell phone from his shirt pocket and called his wife on speed dial. “Mary,” he gasped, “a tree fell on me. My back is broken. I'm going to die.” “Don’t quit!” she shouted. “We're coming to get you!” Alford promised to hold on, but he knew that if he went readersdigest.com 3/20“Getting closer to my Coates ies eMC Aue ROU into shock, his chances were slim. The idea of leaving behind his wife and three teenage children was unbearable. A minute later, he called her back. “In case I don’t make it,” he said, “I have to tell you that I love you.” He closed his eyes and prayed. Gene Alford, 49, grew up in Hender- son, a small town in East Texas. His grandfather, John Rogers Alford, was asuccessful businessman and philan- thropist, and his father carried on both traditions. Alford was raised to work hard and help others. “You didn’t tell anybody you did it,” he said of his par- ents’ values. “You just did it.” After graduating from medical school, Alford built a lucrative career as an ear, nose, and throat specialist and a facial plastic surgeon at Methodist. In the summers, he and Mary, a dentist and former pediatric nurse, would j a church-sponsored medical mission to Honduras, where he operated on the needy ina rural clinic. At home, Alford treated many prominent Houston residents, but he also waived his fee for less fortunate patients. Carolyn Thomas, for in- stance, went to see him with a large gauze bandage over a cavity in her face. She'd been shot by her boyfriend, who'd also killed her mother; the bul- let had blown away Thomas's nose, upper jaw, and right eye. Reconstruc- tion would have cost a million dollars, but Alford, his medical team, and his hospital did it for free. Like many of Alford's patients, Thomas valued his empathy almost as much as his medical skill. “On days when I was down,” she recalls, “he'd say, ‘I know something’s wrong. Are you missing your mother?’ I could talk to him about stuff like that.” Thomas became a spokeswoman for victims of domestic violence, and Alford ap- peared with her on The Oprah Win- rey Show and Larry King Live. Now the man who had offered hope and comfort to so many was fighting to stay alive.eed COUT cies in Houston, Alford does Cee Crug Cet od Pint rd Lear Alford was still conscious when his neighbors Kevin Wingo and Snuffy Garrett, alerted by Mary, hauled the tree off him. They were afraid that doing so would make Alford’s injuries worse, but they went ahead when he said he'd die if they didn’t. A rescue helicopter touched down minutes later, and Alford advised the para- medics on which drugs to administer to him. Then he blacked out. He was flown to the trauma unit at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in Houston, then quickly trans- ferred to Methodist. The tree had smashed Alford’s T4 vertebra and damaged several others. His lower back had been bent so sharply that it pinched off the blood supply to the spinal cord, paralyzing him from the 122 waist down. He'd also broken his col- larbone and shoulder and eight ribs. ‘That night, Mary took John, 19, Bess, 17, and Charles, 15, to see their father in the ICU. Alford murmured reas- surances, then passed out again. The family set up a vigil by his bedside. The next evening, an orthopedic spine specialist fused the vertebrae in Al- ford’s middle back and reinforced them with titanium rods. The operation was successful, but the patient was still in danger. Because Alford’s lungs were bruised, doctors wanted to perform a tracheotomy and hook him up to a ventilator. With Al- ford still unconscious, it was up to Mary to give consent. She also okayed placing a filter in a vein near his heart in order to trap blood clots, another readersdigest.com 3/20potentially lethal risk. Alford had always been the one to handle big medical decisions for the family. “I thought, He’s supposed to be giving me instructions about this,” Mary says. “I felt horribly alone.” After almost two weeks in the ICU, Alford awoke, and his condition im- proved enough for him to be taken off the ventilator. He was soon moved across the street to a rehabilitation unit, where he began physical therapy and learned to use a wheelchair. He confronted his new reality one afternoon as he watched an NFL game on TV from his hospital bed. He had no movement or feeling below his navel. His doctors couldn’t say if he would ever recover them entirely. “I wondered, Will I ever be able to go back to work?” he recalls. “Will I be able to be a surgeon again? Will I be able to be a husband and father?” InFebruary 2008, six weeks after the accident, Alford returned to his 100-year-old home in Houston. At first, he was so weak that he could sit up only when strapped into a wheel- chair; Mary lifted him in and out of it using a sling attached to an electric winch. In constant pain and with frequent muscle spasms, he spent his time in a bed set up in the family room. “Every day was exactly the same,” Mary says. “Every bit of our energy was focused on just surviving.” Before the accident, Alford had been “It’s good just getting to spend time with Dad,” says (etd CeCe aasolidly built six-footer and was used to being in charge. Now, entirely de- pendent on others, he fell into despair. “If it weren't for my wife and kids, I would have killed myself,” he says. But then the love started pouring in. Alford’s brother David, 40, a busi- nessman in Henderson, maintained a blog to provide updates about Alford’s recovery. Over the next three months, 124, he received a staggering 40,000 mes- sages from colleagues, former patients and their families, acquaintances, even strangers. Carolyn Thomas wrote, “When you're back in the OR, I want to be the first one on the table.” Friends took hot meals to the Al- fords every evening and drove Charles to school and to lacrosse and other activities. One woman at church gave readersdigest.com 3/0“Some of my happiest moments have been in the operating room,” says Alford, shown performing surgery from his wheelchair. ~ a the family a wheelchair-ready van that had been used by her late husband. “Anything I've done for other people has been repaid to me a million times over,” Alford now marvels. The outpouring raised his spirits. It also gave Mary a new perspective on him. For years, Alford’s schedule of 15-hour days hadn't left him much time for her and the kids. “I’d just about de- cided you liked work more than us,” Mary told him one day over lunch. “But now I realize you didn’t want to leave the hospital because there were so many folks that needed you. You couldn’t just abandon them.” Alford was moved by his wife’s un- derstanding—and grateful for one thing about the accident: It gave him an opportunity to focus on the people he loved most. When Mary wheeled him to the garage for a shower that she gave him by hose, or when one of his chil- dren helped him dress in the morning, Alford says, it was as if God had used the accident to send him a message: “You need to slow down and appreci- ate what you've got at home.” The couple refurbished their house with ramps, a wheelchair-accessible bathroom, and an elevator. They bought an extended-cab pickup truck and fitted it with a wheelchair hoist, a swiveling driver’s seat, and hand con- trols so Alford could drive himself. But Alford’s goal was to make such adjustments temporary. After amonth of physical therapy, he graduated from an electric to a manual wheelchair. One day last winter, he wiggled his toes. “It was huge,” he remembers. “Mary and I just cried and cried, we were so happy.” More sensation and movement returned in his legs and feet. ‘The daily workouts built strength in his back and abdominal muscles, improving his ability to hold himself upright. Soon he was able to stand with the aid of a tubular steel frame; 125seated in his chair, he could now draw his legs toward his chest. In May, Alford began the next phase of treatment—an experimental regimen developed by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. Each morning, he went to the Institute for Rehabilitation and Research at Memorial Hermann. By putting a paralyzed patient through his paces, therapists hoped to grow new neuromuscular connections. When Alford arrived at the clinic, aphysical therapist and a team of as- sistants would strap him into a har- 126 “If Pd been alone through this, | wouldn’t be here today,” says Gene, pictured with Mary. ness suspended above a treadmill. They swung his legs at a steady pace as Alford, eyes fixed on a full-length mirror, struggled to help by lifting a thigh with each stride. After three months of this routine, Alford’s coordination had improved markedly. He felt ready to pick up a scalpel again, with the hospital’s ap- proval. He started small, with an of- fice procedure on a friend’s son who had injured his nose. The operation went smoothly, A few days later, using awheelchair specially designed to lift readersdigest.com 3/20him into position, he joined a colleague in performing an hour-long optic nerve decompression at Methodist. “It felt wonderful,” Alford says with a smile. “Tt was just so good to be back in that environment.” Still, his limitations were never far from his mind, On the night that Hur- ricane Ike struck Houston with 110 mph winds, Alford’s bedroom window exploded, showering him and Mary with glass. “I watched my wife and my 15-year-old son use a card table, a Boy Scout tent, and duct tape to cover the window,” he says. “I realized that I was different forever. I also realized that Mary was different forever—and she could handle it.” Alford still goes for four hours of rehab every morning and spends his evenings stretching and riding a mo- torized stationary bike to keep mus- cle spasms at bay. But in the hours between, he sees patients or performs surgeries—as many as five a week. “My stamina has come back,” he says. “I don't hurt like I used to.” On a recent afternoon in a Methodist Hospital operating room, he repaired the deviated septum of Darren De- Fabo, a 40-year-old Houston engineer. Leaning in from his elevated chair, Al- ford cut through the bone and carti- lage, working quickly and methodically, occasionally exchanging a comment with a nurse ora surgical tech. With Creedence Clearwater Re- vival’s “Fortunate Son” playing in the background, Alford sutured in tem- porary splints to support his patient’s nose after the operation. In all, the procedure took 22 minutes. “It was very normal, embarrassingly simple,” Alford remarked as he wheeled him- self out of the OR. He’s eager to do more complex sur- geries and plans to increase his work- load. Walking remains uncertain. “I always tell him if I had a crystal ball, Td bea millionaire,” says Marcie Kern, one of his physical therapists. Still, the doctor considers himself a lucky man. “I wondered if I could practice med- icine as well as T used to, and I think Tve answered that question,” Alford says. “My brain works, my hands work. T'm closer than ever to Mary and my children. I've got so much. Why should I feel sorry for myself?” REALITY CHECK Bill Maher is getting sick and tired of body modification. “Just because your tattoo has Chinese characters in it doesn’t make you spiritual,” he argues. “It translates to ‘beef with broccoli.” “The big oil companies must stop running ads telling us how much they’re doing for the environment,” rants Maher. “If you folks at Shell are really serious about cleaning something up, start with your restrooms.” From New Rules by Bill Maher (Rodale) 127Quick Study Standardized BY JOSEPH K. VETTER Ifyou think your kids need to spend more time penciling in answer bubbles, the College Board has granted your wish In October, it presenteda new, SAT- style exam—for eighth graders. Critics pounced, blasting it as acynical ploy to make more money by extending the angst of college-bound teens to mere tweens. The College Board insists that the test, known as ReadiStep, isn’t meant to predict how students will do on the SAT but to help guide “the course ofa student’s instruction.” Standardized tests’ importance in college admissions has been growing for a decade. Now comes the backlash. A month before ReadiStep made headlines, a prestigious panel chaired by William Fitzsimmons, Harvard’s dean of admis- sions, recommended colleges consider In China, first female emperor Wu Zetian uses uniform tests— including one to assess Fi poetry- writing skills—to screen government workers. 128 whether to even use SATs to help pick incoming students. Designed to help the brightest stand out, whatever their background, SATs now appear to “calcify differences” based on class, the panel lamented. They also criticized pricey test prep. Just as contentious: federally man- dated testing in grades 3 to 12. Created as part of the 2002 No Child Left Behind law, the exams were designed to hold schools and teachers accountable for student progress. Now teachers chafe at the idea of losing their once-secure jobs if they can’t help students achieve baseline skills, Parents question the effect of so much testing on already overscheduled kids. And evidence mounts that there may be no such thing as a one-size-fits-all exam. 1900 | College Entrance Examination Board (today’s College Board) formed to develop standardized essay exam for Ivy League. 4 Alfred Binet, French psychologist,SAT Three hours 45 minutes of reading, writing, and math to test chops for college work. (Grades 11 and 12; $45,) NS SAT Subject One-hour, multiple-choice, in five subject areas. (Grades 9-12; $29-$40.) > PSAT Tests ACT Like the reniness for | SATut claims (/ the SAT and to be nore lalifies stu- curriculum- dent for Ne based andalso f// tional Merit includes a Scholarships. | | Science sec- (Grades 10 tion. (Grades anand 12; $31.) and 17; $13,) AAP Score 3 or higher on one of these 37 subject tests and possibly earn college credit. (Grades 9-12; $86.) Exit Around 25 states require exams to earn a diploma, as do 634 schools enrolled in Interna- tional Baccalaureate programs. Oh, the Tests She’ll Take The typical student takes more than two dozen standardized tests by graduation. State and District Varied exams, sometimes given several times a year, to keep tabs on local schools. ~ | ReadiStep For “diagnos- tic” use, new two-hour multiple- choice test with three / SAT-like sections. Grade 8.) No Child Left Behind Mandated tests to help measure if a school meets teaching standards. (Grades 3-12.) is" “Test, label, punish” Under No Child Left Behind (NCLB), schools face the loss of federal funding or state takeover if students continually score too low on the math and reading tests. The down- side is “teaching to the test.” In one study, more than half of elementary school teachers said they had cut science instruction to fit in test prep. > Cost Like the nervous parent shelling out $1,500 The Back-and-Forth.. “People like to use scores to label students because it’s easy and fast. But a student is so more than atest score.? Dennis Van Roekel, president, National Education Association for an SAT prep course, school districts often coverstretch their budgets to prepare for high-stakes tests, Thanks largely to the sale of practice materials, revenues for a handful of testing giants like CTB/McGraw-Hill have jumped from $1.42 billion to $25 billion since the passage of NCLB. > What’s in an A A study from the College Board actually gave an edge to grades over stan- dardized tests in predicting college performance, But grades can be inflated or come from schools that aren’t well-known to ad- missions officers. Judging those unknowns is one reason Harvard gives for holding on to the SAT. > The tyranny Colleges dread the SAT too: The Fitzsimmons panel called for U.S. News & World Report to stop using scores of incoming freshmen in its well-known rankings. test GWe need more account- ability, not less. | believe that what gets measured much gets done. In Texas, we say, “in God we trust; all others bring data.”? margaret spettings, former US. secretary of education 8 8 3 STUDENT/TEACHER) GATES) ED KASH 1947 | The College Board helps spawn 1968 | Future best- Educational Testing Service to develop and administer the SAT. First Advanced Placement exam. lowa-based American College ‘Testing debuts the ACT asSAT alternative. (7A (More colleges now prefer 1983 | Presidential commission's itover the report “A Nation at Risk” | fuels testing boom. selling author Amy Tan scores \ in the 400s on the verbal section SAT.) of the 1,600-point SAT. Bill Gates scores a perfect 800 on the math. readersdigest.com 3/09Forward Thinking » New tests Thomas Toch, codirector of Educa- tion Sector, a Washington, DC, think tank, says that standardized tests can be designed to match the range of elementary school subjects, include more writing and less multiple choice, and employ “higher order” skills like creativity and problem solving. One recent improvement is the addition of three NCLB-related science tests for select grade levels. > Choices, choices Schools like Holy Cross, Wake Forest, and Smith now let applicants decide whether to submit SAT or ACT scores at all—with no penalty if they don’t. Thanks to a new College Board policy, colleges can also choose to let students sub- mit only their top scores for each SAT section when stu- dents take (and parents pay for) the test multiple times. > Who’s ready to study? Many colleges are giving more weight to content- driven AP and SAT subject tests. Also gaining favor: International Baccalaureate diplomas, now earned at 634 U.S. schools that pay to adopt the Geneva-based program’s standardized curriculum and rigorous exams. “Strong students with AP or IB courses know how to work and manage their time. They come here and do well,” says Holy Cross admissions director Ann McDermott. Enabli g students to determine which scores to send to colleges is a great stress reliever. That’s what the [Score Choice] policy is all about.? Laurence Bunin, College Board There are students who may perform brilliantly on the SAT because they’ve taken it a dozen times. But now we won’t know that. Bruce Poch, dean of admissions, Pomona College, on the new Score Choice policy No Child Left Behind signed into law, requiring annual tests for grades 3-8 (Some high school tests added later). = 2005 | Thenew SAT has an essay and a higher perfect score: 2,400. 2006 | Oops! SAT’s credibility takes ahit with grading errors on more | cause: high humidity at test- | scanning site. exp | Baylor University | offers incoming freshmen financial incentives to retake their SAT, Following criticism it’s trying to boost its U.S. News & World | Report ranking, Baylor denies | itand reverses course, 131When T. J. Stone moved to ae Valley,Ranch more than two decades ago, hé loved everything about it. The sprawl- ing housing development was 17 miles from polluted down- town Denver, and the community offered friendly neighbors, acres of parks, and stunning mountain«views. Stone paid $88,000 for his home on 44th Place, a 2,300-square-foot split-level built in 1983, with a pear tree and maples in the frontyard. Before the foreclosure crisis, the house had ap- preciated to more than double that amount and the pear JUSTIN SULLIVAN/GETTY IMAGES arr}tree had grown to 30 feet. But when the banks descended on Green Valley Ranch, Stone began to notice some- thing new—abandoned homes and creeping blight. After a two-bedroom place nearby on 42nd Avenue was foreclosed, the homeowners’ belongings were hauled out to the curb. They sat for days, until neighbors called the homeowners’ as- sociation to clean up the mess. Local Kids broke into a vacant house a block from Stone’s and used it for a paintball into foreclosure in 2008 alone, and an- other 1 in 10 Americans is a month or more behind on his or her mortgage. Often these homes sit in legal limbo for months while the foreclosure pa- perwork winds its way through the local courts. After banks take posses- sion and the properties become eye- sores, local residents watch their property values plunge. The Center for Responsible Lending estimates that 41 million homeowners will see their home value decline an average “The pool was like a swamp. Fir: it was green, and then it went black le actually had a plague of frogs.’ war. “The drapes were gone,” Stone says. “I could look in and see paint over everything—the walls, the win- dows, the appliances” Other proper- ties grew weeds and scrub brush, or they attracted looters who tore out bathroom fixtures and stole copper plumbing for scrap metal. Still others were sprayed with graffiti Green Valley Ranch was hit hard and early by the foreclosure crisis. Of 4,800 homes, more than 150—or 1 in every 32—are currently owned by banks, and dozens have been defaced or damaged. The rest of the country is catching up. Nationwide, 1 out of every 70 homes is now in foreclosure; in the hardest-hit states, like Nevada, it’s 1 in 17, The Mortgage Bankers Association estimates that 2.2 million homes went 134 of about $8,700 as a result of nearby foreclosures. Even upscale neighborhoods aren't immune. In Phillips Landing, a wealthy gated community southwest of Orlando, Florida, where lakefront Mediterranean-style houses sell for as much as $4 million, 23 out of 365 homes were emptied by foreclosures in early 2008. The homes are rela- tively new and didn’t need much maintenance. The homeowners’ as- sociation hired a landscaper for the lawns. But the swimming pools were another story. “The pool in the property behind my backyard was like a swamp for cight or nine months,” says Frank Ru- bino, president of the Phillips Land- ing homeowners’ association. “First it readersdigest.com 3/00Rae te Race seen Reais ects Ese) ECU rian was green, and then it went black. We actually had a plague of frogs for a while.” Rubino tried getting the bank to hire a maintenance company—with no luck. “Most banks say, ‘Until we take possession of the property, we can’t legally comment on it,” he says. “It takes them somewhere between 9 and 11 months to sort through the pa- perwork and catch up.” More than half. of the foreclosed homes in his com- munity remain unsold today. In some areas, the damage can be far worse—even deadly. Partying teen- agers broke into a long-vacant home in West Babylon, New York, and did $20,000 worth of damage, including knocking holes in the walls. A five- year-old girl drowned after falling into a pool behind a foreclosed home in an Indianapolis suburb. In November, a firefighter in Detroit was killed bat- tling a blaze in an abandoned home, which investigators later determined had been caused by arson. Local governments can normally handle situations like these, but they are overwhelmed. Florida’s Orange County budgeted $400,000 this year to respond to housing code viola- tions—problems like overgrown lawns, unsafe houses and pools, and broken windows. “We hate to leave places looking like 1983 Beirut,” says Robert Spivey, the county’s manager. But his department went through the entire 135year’s budget in just three months. In atypical year, the county demolishes about 20 homes so far behind in re- pairs that they’re unsafe; this year, Or- ange County expects to knock down 50 or 60. For the thousands of home- owners who left the city to escape urban blight, it’s a grim situation as decay threatens to overwhelm the sub- urbs too. But a growing number of homeown- ers are fighting back. In Connecticut, Colorado, and California, neighbors are working together to reclaim their streets. Ardena Perry has lived in her 1,600-square-foot ranch house in the Vistas, a development in Sparks, Nevada, since 1997. Three percent of its 1,500 homes have been foreclosed, damaging the curb appeal of neigh- boring houses. But Perry and her neighbors aren't waiting for the cav- alry to ride to their rescue; they're mowing lawns, pulling weeds, pick- ing up trash, and collecting phone books on vacated properties them- selves. Perry is out a lot, strolling the neighborhood with her two New- foundlands and her German shep- herd. “This is a walking community” Perry says. “We notice when a house is empty.” In December, Perry even took Christmas cards (“the ones you don't really care about,” she says, “from the doctor or the dentist”) and put them on the doors of foreclosed homes near hers so they would look occupied. In January, she took them down. “The so- lution to blight is within your com- 136 munity,” Perry says. “It isn’t some bank in Switzerland.” In Tomahawk Village, a develop- ment west of Phoenix, Arizona, resi- dents are attacking crime. Thirty years ago, the community attracted young families and engineers who worked at nearby Luke Air Force Base. But im- migration, unemployment, and the housing crisis have rocked the solidly blue-collar Tomahawk Village. Homes have been burglarized and graffiti is a persistent issue. readersdigest.com 3/0Residents formed a neighborhood block watch to bolster police efforts. Recently, the group has focused its at- tention almost exclusively on vacant houses. “They’re being stripped,” says Carol McKeever, 56, a legal secretary who owns a 25-year-old cottage in the community. “At one place, someone had taken the front door off. About ten houses down, same thing. We had an- other house where the copper plumb- ing had been ripped out of the sprinkler system in the front yard.” Neighborhood groups fight back with brooms, brushes, and mowers. Last April, residents got so fed up that they began keeping a database of all vacant homes in the develop- ment. (Currently, there are 275, out of 2,600 total, including seven of ten houses on one street alone.) The database lists whether the property has a pool and security issues like broken windows or fences. McKeever drives every street in the neighbor- hood at least once a month to update the list and scours public databases for valuable information like deeds 237of sale and banks holding specific homes in her area. ‘The database gets sent around to the members of the block watch and also to the local police and neighbor- hood services departments. “The city of Phoenix has been phenomenally responsive,” says McKeever. “If we call in something, like a home with a missing window, they have all the in- formation they need, and they'll be out within a week to board it up.” For the mortgage company or the real es- tate agent is just not responsive,” ‘Thraen says. She tells of an empty house at the end of her street. “There was a broken window, then a second broken window, then a third. We called a couple of times.” Each time, no response. “Then graffiti—the fence had been broken down, and the whole back of the house, side of the house, and inside was tagged.” Without per- ission, two residents went in and One man outfitted a used golf cart for cleanup. Instead If bags, it holds buckets of paint. green pools, Maricopa County will even come out and release minnow guppies, which eat mosquito larvae (though the county won’t actually drain the pools). “The pools still look bad, but the guppies keep the West Nile virus away,” McKeever says. Suzanne Thraen has lived with her husband in Tomahawk Village for the past 30 years and serves on the board of the block watch association. She’s careful to note that they don’t advo- cate going onto foreclosed properties to clean up, since it’s technically tres- passing; the association could be li- able if a volunteer were to get hurt. “As an organization, we don’t do it,” she says. “As individuals, we do.” Especially in cases when they’ve gone through official channels and been rebuffed. “On many occasions, 138 scrubbed it. “We can’t tolerate graffiti in a square mile like ours,” Thraen says. “You get two of those on a block and that whole block is gone.” Tomahawk Village is so organized in its fight against graffiti that Thraen’s husband, Rex, bought a used golf cart and outfitted it for the mis- sion. Instead of golf bags, the rear compartment holds four five-gallon buckets of paint. Green Valley Ranch in Denver is per- haps the most aggressive in dealing with foreclosed homes. The rules of its homeowners’ asso- ciation give residents the legal right to go onto someone’s property to fix health and safety violations. “We can mow lawns, fix a broken gate, clean up trash,” says association president readersdigest.com 3/00T. J. Stone. And that’s exactly what they did when the own- ers of the foreclosed home on 42nd Avenue dumped their stuff in the street—“lamps, broken tables, everything the owners didn’t want to take with them,” Stone recalls. The association hired a private company to cart it all away, two truckloads’ worth, at a cost of $1,200. It also hired a landscaper to mow the lawn and pick up trash. (The asso- ciation then placed a lien on the property, giving it the right to recoup the cost once the house is sold.) For homes that need bigger repairs, it gets a court order, The association has set aside almost $100,000 for things like repainting trim and replacing windows. Stone ex- pects that that amount will cover the rehabilitation of about ten homes. “The money will go fast,” he says. But if the spruced-up properties find buyers, the banks or the new owners will repay the costs, the fund will get replenished, and the association can turn to other abandoned properties. “We're hoping to make this program self-sufficient,” says Joanne True, a 14-year resident Do More _- Talk to your neighbors and enlist volunteers to keep tabs on nearby homes. An overgrown lawn is usually the first sign that a property has been foreclosed. Report problems like broken or missing windows to the local police or to your town’s housing department. _- Collect flyers, junk mail, and loose trash and listen for abandoned pets, a growing prob- lem in vacant homes. But don’t turn on the hose, even to water the lawn (broken pipes will cause damage), or plug into an electrical outlet (a potential fire hazard). _ Use your local homeowners’ association. ifthe community rules don’t allow trash or lawn cleanup on vacant properties, vote to change the rules. Check guidelines at the Community Associations Institute (caionline.org). _ Establish a neighborhood watch program if you’re worried about crime. The National Sheriffs’ Association maintains a network of these groups and a website offering tips on Starting one (usaonwatch.org). "Tap into groups that can help, like the National Vacant Properties Campaign, which holds conferences on maintaining empty homes (vacantproperties.org). | Take preemptive action to educate your- self and your neighbors about how to keep your homes (see sidebar on next page). Check ‘out Hope Now, a partnership between debt counselors and lenders (hopenow.com or 888-995-HOPE). of Green Valley Ranch and secretary Green Valley Ranch has secured fed- of the homeowners’ association board. _ eral funds. The U.S. Department of “We want it to grow and grow.” Housing and Urban Development is For houses in the worst shape, spending about $4 billion on the most 139A Mortgage You Can Pay he best way to pay off the loan, or both. _ for a good-faith initial I fight blight: Keep Any past-due payments get ~payment—usually some homeowners in bundled into the new loan. _ portion of the past-due their homes. payment, which can run Sandra Graves broke her Here's how it works: from as little as $500 to opal H 1. The homeowner con- i leg in spring 2007, just as several months’ back mort- . sults a credit counselor. the adjustable-rate loan on a gage payments. The process “ You can find a certified one her $85,000 home spiked 9 usually takes 30 to 60 days through the National Foun- ars to 11 percent. By summer dation for Credit Counsel: from beginning to end. (In of the following year, the fewer than 10 percent of lh ing (nfcc.org). The agencies ‘ sz-year-old contractor themselves are funded by | ©2325. homeowner might and home decorator had eee be so far behind on pay- A h . grants, so the service is burned through her sav- free. (Be suspicious of any Tents that the counselor ings and fallen months . i Y can’t help.) counselor charging an up- front fee for advice. In many cases, such fees are illegal, and it may be a scam.) behind on her mortgage. “| couldn’t go up lad- ders,” said Graves. “That a local credit counseling got me behind on my work.” service negotiated a $733 The dream house in 2. The counselor goes down payment on her Hamilton, Ohio, that she’d through the home- $n1900 debt with Chase designed inside as a log owner’s monthly budget —_ bank. Chase bundled the cabin teetered on the brink and expenses. It helps to _rest intoa new loan and of foreclosure. bring financial records like _ reset her interest rate toa But when the county fi- pay stubs, tax filings, bills, __fixed rate of 4.75 percent nally sent her a foreclosure and mortgage statements. _for the next five years and notice, they also included a 6.75 percent after that. Her lifeline: a list of credit coun- monthly payment dropped seling agencies in the area. from $1,034 to just $577. Graves made a call—and “People think there isn't found a solution almost any help, but there is,” says 27 million distressed home- Tonya Collister, the hous- owners have discovered: ing director at Consumer the mortgage workout. Credit Counseling Service In atypical workout, also of Springfield, Missouri. called a loan modification, Last year, her office worked the bank lowers its interest with nearly 700 homeown- rate or monthly payment, ers who were behind on extends the amount of 4. The bank proposes a their mortgages; 685 kept time the borrower has to modification. Often it asks their homes. 140 [ n Sandra Graves’s case, 3. The counselor calls the bank to discuss a “re- structuring.” Sometimes the bank might contact you: Citibank plans to contact 500,000 borrowers at risk of default to make sure they can repay their loans. JP- Morgan Chase is reviewing loans, totaling $70 billion, to 400,000 homeowners.blight-prone communities around the country. Some $16 million will be used to buy up the worst homes in three Denver neighborhoods, including Green Valley Ranch. Most of those homes will be demolished, and the properties will be landscaped. The lots will be turned over to the city, which will ultimately build new housing. One likely target of such funds is a house on Perth Street, which has been empty since mid-2008. The windows were broken and vandals got inside and set a fire. The homeowners’ as- sociation has cleaned up the yard mul- tiple times and hired a contractor to board up the windows and padlock the front door. Yet ironically, because the house is in such bad shape, the bank has refused to officially foreclose on it and take possession. “It’s because of all the damage,” Stone says. “They don’t want the cost of tearing down the building,” That goes to the heart of the issue— no one wants these homes. Not the neighbors, not new buyers, and defi- nitely not the banks. Until the housing market turns around and the number of vacant homes starts to decline, even the most successful community effort will have a hard time making lasting change. Jim Gillespie, president and CEO of real estate giant Coldwell Banker, says volunteer efforts like these can be “somewhat” effective in protecting real estate values. But he argues that the federal government is still too focused on shoring up banks instead of helping bring buyers back into the marketplace. The banks are also to blame. “Banks need to speed up every phase of the process,” Gilles- pie adds. “That lag is a big challenge right now.” In the meantime, communities will keep doing everything they can. Says Ardena Perry in Sparks, Nevada, “A recession will bring out the worst or the best in people. We’re just hunker- ing down and saying, Okay, we'll get through this.” CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? My mother hadn’t been feeling well, so | was worried when she didn’t answer the phone. | jumped into the car and raced over to her house—only to find her sitting in her living room calmly watching TV. “Why didn’t you answer the telephone?” | asked. “| was worried.” “Sorry, dear. | heard it ringing, but | thought it was on the television.” “Oh,” | said, relieved. “What were you watching?” “Spartacus.” Don Cunningham readersdigest.com 3/09 141The manners and morals of amovie-star mom sy reeses | CS ASTOLD TO MARGY ROCHLIN *m not asuper-strict parent, but I important to have rules for children. It gives them a sense of structure—and that’s what we are all seeking. We just want to know when we've done something right or wrong. That’s what I'm trying to teach my own children [Ava, nine, and Deacon, five]. ff I grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, and my parents taught me to respect my elders. We'd say things like “yes, ma’am” and “no, sir” to adults. But kids in Los Angeles don’t do that. I’ve drawn the line at my children calling adults by their first names. I tell them they can call people “Miss Shannon” or “Miss Heather” readersdigest.com 3/0“My kids think Pm a little too chatty,” says Witherspoon of her § Southern hospitality.but that using only the first name is too familiar. Maybe I’m just old- fashioned. Children should learn their values at home. In sixth grade, I took a man- ners class once a week. We learned things like “What's the right way to answer the telephone?” My kids set the table every night, and we eat din- ner asa family. I give each of the kids five dollars when we go to the farmers’ market on the weekends. They can buy some- thing, save it, or spend part of it and save the rest. My son is just like me: ‘The minute he gets the money, he spends it all on something delicious. But my daughter will go around the 44 market for a half hour weighing the possibilities until she buys one thing. I don’t believe in humiliating chil- dren in front of their peers. I was, when Twas told “Don't behave that way!” or “Don't gossip!” I've learned so much from other moms. When Ava was lit- tle, we were on a playdate, and her friend did something wrong. The gir!’s mother said, “Will you excuse us for a second?” Later I asked, “What hap- pened?” She said, “I didn’t like some- thing that Phoebe had done, but I didn’t want to humiliate her in front of Ava.” I thought that was so thoughtful—to be respectful ofa little girl’s feelings. When my animated character in Monsters vs. Aliens was described to readersdigest.com 3/0 © 2008 DREAMWORKS ANIMATION LLCme, I thought, Now, that’s the kind of role I want to play. [Witherspoon is the voice of Ginormica, a young girl who morphs into a 49-foot-ll-inch giant and helps save the She could talk to a brick wall for two hours. She used to chat with the grocery checker, and I'd say, “Mom, she doesn’t want to know how long it took you to get to school today!” planet] She finds her inner M Now my kids do it to me. strength and becomes WU We'll go to church and I'l part of a family that favorite joke: be talking to someone, embraces how strong she is. That's what I want little girls to see. Itake my kids back to Nashville two or three times a year. They're crazy about the trees and the food. A creek runs through our neighborhood, and they love to walk up and down it— just like I used to do with my brother. When I was little, my mother and grandmother were such big influences on me. My grandma used to read to me at night, all kinds of books. Now I love to read—T'll buy ten hooks at a time! My mother is my greatest supporter, and I’m hers. We take care of each other that way. And she’s very chatty. “What did the zero sa to the eight:” “Nice belt!” and Deacon will be saying, “Come on, let’s go home!" In the South, there’s a real sense of commu- nity—the feeling that peo- ple come into your life for a reason. Because I grew up with that, I take my children to church in Los An- geles. It takes you out of your per- sonal experience and universalizes it. You understand that whatever you're dealing with, someone in that room has either dealt with the same thing or will in the future. We are all strug- gling to figure out what life is about. We are all just looking for answers. é Listen to more of our interview, take aquiz, and see a clip of Reese’s latest movie at readersdigest.com/witherspoon. THE FOX Did we live lightly then? Twice we've seen the fox, the flash of red that leaps the weeds and brush, an after-image gray, then blank, then gone delight cannot be sought or pleasure thought or joy re-caught but twice we saw the fox, not once, and knew his fear of us Step in time, love, step in time, live inside the morning twice we saw the fox, not once, and knew his fearofus Susan Stewart 45Wee teres stn and rescue—and an-unlikely friendship By sTEVEN eta erty SS agen NLAPee eer rN) 1scar Lizcano lifted himself off his bed of leaves and struggled to his feet. He couldn’t see his own hands in front of his face, but he felt the humid jungle air around him. Crossing the rebel en- campment toward the tree line, he crept past men who kept AK-47s within reach as they slept the light sleep of outlaw soldiers on high alert, deep in a Colom- bian rain forest. It was late October 2008, and after more than eight years in captivity, the 62-year-old former congressman and economics professor was ravaged by malaria and malnutrition. His eyes had sunk into their sockets, and his skin sagged under his ragged beard. Ninety-eight months of separation from his wife, two sons, and his work had nearly shattered his spirit. He could make his getaway, or die. Lizcano wasn’t leaving alone. A 28- year-old rebel commander named Wilson Bueno Largo, nom de guerre Isaza, was risking a break for freedom too. After setting up camp earlier that night, he'd asked Lizcano for a game of chess. Over the board, Isaza looked at Lizcano with his one good eye—the other had been lost in battle—and said flatly, “You're gonna die here.” Lizcano stared at him. “Get ready, old-timer,” said Isaza. “Lm going to get you out of here.” 148 His escape would be a dangerous gambit under any circumstances. But because Lizcano was one of the longest-held hostages of the Revolu- tionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the effort would be doubly treacher- ous. In 2002, President Alvaro Uribe took office, vowing to crack down on the group responsible for kidnapping thousands of his country’s citizens in the past four decades. As a result, Liz- cano’s captors had been on the move, fearing air strikes and raids. Increas- ingly, rebels had been giving up and slipping away, including Isaza’s girl- friend, who was now in hiding. Just four months before, a special Steven Dudley is the author of Walking Ghosts: Murder and Guerrilla Politics in Colombia.forces operation, with help from U.S. intelligence, had tricked the guerrillas into handing over three U.S. Pentagon contractors, the French Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, and 11 other Colombian captives. The rescue made headlines worldwide and sent the rebels into a tailspin. Lizcano was becoming less valuable by the day. Bartering him for release of their own men and women from government prisons probably wouldn't work now; it would be easier to just kill him. Lizcano’s nightmare had begun ona slow August afternoon in 2000 as the recently reelected congressman helped the mayor of Getsemani, a hamlet in the mountains of central Colombia, campaign for her own reelection. Liz- cano, clean-shaven and with his hair neatly clipped, had trained as an econ- omist and been a respected teacher at Universidad Nacional in Manizales, but he had the charm and confidence ofa natural politician and moved eas- ily between the rural hills of his home district and Bogota’s gleaming halls of power. As he mingled with peasant farmers and day laborers, he felt no fear despite his awareness of rebel strongholds nearby. The rebels hadn’t been targeting politicians. Their tactics were terri- fying but crude. They'd sweep into villages with homemade mortars, de- stroy police stations, and overrun army barracks. In the decades of try- 149ing to seize power from the govern- ment, however, their influence ex- tended over a vast territory—at one time one third of the country. As Lizcano and the mayor chatted with well-wishers, they were suddenly br Cnty Ten OCU UT) ea) tact cash areata ee werd ersten Ce surrounded by a guerrilla band of 30 or more. “You are detained,” one of them said, “and you will be held until there is a prisoner swap.” Three days later, the rebels let the mayor go, but Lizcano was marched the other way. As he watched a sol- dier in front of him hack a path with a machete through the virgin forest, Lizcano realized that everything had changed. After more than a dozen nights of marching from site to site, Lizcano ar- rived at a sprawling encampment 150 miles east of the capital, Bogota, and 90 miles west of the Pacific Ocean. From 150 CSU La the outset, the guerrillas met Lizcano’s questions with silence and isolated him in a small area. Soon he simply stopped talking, except to ask to use the toilet or wash his clothes. At night he'd fashion a makeshift tent in which he’d fall into a heavy, dreamless sleep, rarely waking before dawn. Two months after his abduction, Lizcano heard his wife, Martha, and sons, Juan Carlos and Mauricio, on a shortwave radio, plead- ing for his release. The guerrillas then gave him his own radio, and he began to listen to a program broadcasting messages to the thou- sands of missing. His family encouraged him to be strong, gave him news of the world, and promised they would help free him. One message, sent by Martha for Valentine’s Day in 2002, read “These are days that my heart beats for you. Every day I miss you more than the day before.” It pained him to be re- minded of the distance between them. “How sad it is when I wake up alone,” he wrote back to Martha ina poem, which was included in a “proof of life” package that the rebels sent to the media. “And I see dawn asleep/And my heart bleeds for what I have lost/Oh, while I wait for the Goddess- like voice of my love.” After the abduction of three Amer- readersdigest.com 3/20 (LIZcANO) JAINican contractors in 2003, the govern- ment stepped up its offensive, and the guerrillas abandoned their jungle hideaways. To elude aircraft and snitches in jungle villages, they marched Lizcano in wide-ranging cir- LECTUR cles through thick brush, over steep mountains, and across treacherous rivers. The monotony of Lizcano’s en- vironment became almost too much to bear: Every leaf, tree, and stream looked identical; every day brought the same. On a good day, the group ate lentils and rice or monkey soup, which Lizcano could swallow only by pinching his nose. Sometimes he’d even resort to drinking water with salt to fight dehydration. “There was one guerrilla who at night would put a cooked mouse in my boot and I would eat it,” says Lizcano. He was often ill, plagued by dehy- dration, malnutrition, and urinary and digestive tract infections. Without mosquito netting, he had contracted malaria, which gave him chills, aches, nightmares, and chronic fatigue. He moved slowly and with pain. For every distance the rebels walked in two hours, it took him six. Sometimes they waited for him while he rested; when their patience ran out, they would drag him in a hammock. In an- other proof-of-life package, he wrote to his wife, “You need more courage to suffer than to die.” The walks grew longer, Lizcano grew weaker, and the rebels finally demanded that he lighten his load SOMETIMES HE’D PREPARE THEN ADDRESS STICKS THAT HE’?D NAMED AND JAMMED INTO THE GROUND. by discarding the books they had given him—among them Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey and po- etry by Pablo Neruda. Desperate, Liz- cano tore out his favorite passages and stuffed them into plastic bags to carry in his pockets. At night, he would sometimes pre- pare notes for academic lectures, then jam sticks into the ground and crown them with signs bearing the names of his former students. “Carlos,” “Juan,” and the others were an obedient and attentive audience as Lizcano gave talks on geography, history, and world leaders like Mahatma Gandhi. When Lizcano grew overly animated, his guards assumed he’d gone mad. y the middle of 2006, the guerrillas had lost sub- stantial ground in their four-decade war against the government. The military had killed or captured several mid-level rebel commanders, and kidnappings had dropped almost tenfold. After Liz- 151cano’s son Mauricio won his father’s seat in Congress, rebels kidnapped his brother, Juan Carlos, But government pursuit proved so dogged, they set him free soon after. A deserter from the rebel unit that orders and refusing Lizcano permis- sion to wash his clothes. But at night, when he wasn’t observed, Isaza often struck up conversation with him. Over several weeks, a bond grew between the two as they swapped stories about “QUIET’”’ ISAZA HISSED. THE TWO FELL SILENT AS THE GUERRILLAS TOOK ANDD held Lizcano divulged his location to the government, and the military fanned out to cut off rebel supply lines. Aircraft buzzed overhead searching the forest, and intelligence specialists mon- itored the airwaves. Under siege, the guerrillas marched around the clock. ‘They would no longer carry Lizcano. If an attack came, he was informed, they would kill him. But Isaza had a differ- ent plan: Lizcano, he grew convinced, would be his exit strategy. $400,000 reward had been offered for Liz- cano’s rescue—enough for any rebel’s fresh start. Isaza, stocky and dark-skinned and with 12 years of experience in the rebel army, had grown increasingly dis- enchanted with the guerrillas; he missed his family and girlfriend and was unhappy with the course of action the rebels were taking with Lizcano. Isaza had dared not object, how- ever, and indeed often played the role of harsh disciplinarian, barking out 152 UICK STEPS PAST THEM WIN THE PATH. the coffee-growing region where they’d both grown up. Isaza’s mother had spoken highly to him of the con- gressman’s work, and this had stuck with him. He began to keep an eye on Lizcano during marches and advised him to stay close for protection ifthe air force bombed. As the military closed in, Isaza’s own choice was becoming clear: die with his comrades or flee with the captive. Now he asked his prisoner over the chessboard, “Are you tough enough?” At first, Lizcano thought it was a trick. “Yes, I’m tough enough,” he re- sponded hesitantly. “It’s now or never, old-timer.” At nine o’clock that night, Isaza led Lizcano through the jungle and to- ward a river. Isaza calculated that they would have about three hours before the rebels discovered them missing. At the river, he instructed Lizcano to walk across on dry rocks so that no one could track their path. As Lizcano stepped forward, he readersdigest.com 3/00slipped into the water. “You're okay,” Isaza whispered as he hauled him out. Dogs barked in the distance. Lizcano swore under his breath. They ducked under a barbed wire fence. Lizcano tore his shirt, and Isaza grabbed the piece of cloth hanging on the wire—he knew their trackers wouldn't miss it. They made their way up a steep hill. Lizcano fell so often that Isaza found him a walking stick and finally used it to pull the profes- sor toward the summit. They couldn't travel by day, be- cause local sympathizers might radio their position to the rebels. Just be- fore dawn on the second day, the two men descended into a valley. They carved out the soft center of a nearby palm tree to eat. Then Lizcano rested in a ditch, while Isaza scaled a tree with his rifle to keep watch. As the two set off the second night, Isaza studied his former prisoner. His feet were swollen, and his body was covered in scratches. “Old-timer, are you gonna make it?” Isaza asked.“T’m gonna make it.” But at the end of the night’s trek, Lizcano burrowed into a ditch and labored to breathe. “Quiet!” Isaza hissed suddenly at Lizcano’s side. “Keep it down! They're cano fell to the ground, then lurched up and hugged his new comrade. “Friends forever!” he cried. “You saved my life.” Seeing a group of soldiers across the river, Lizcano started waving and | EVERY DAY LIZCANO GIVES THANKS TO “THE PERSON WHO HAD THE COURAGE THE VALOR, TO LEAVE WITH coming!” Two or three dozen guerril- las took quick, purposeful steps down the path, eyes probing the landscape. But they moved past the two men and disappeared out of sight. Late that night, Isaza led Lizcano along a small stream and up the side of a mountain. He told Lizcano to step in his footprints to confuse their track- ers. Soon Lizcano was covered in sweat and exhausted. “I’m very thirsty,” he said. “Let me rest.” Isaza fixed him with a hard look. “What do you prefer? Lose your life here while you rest or keep going?” Liz- cano silently trudged on. At a water- ing hole, Isaza pulled a leaf off a tree, shaped it like a cone, and added some powdered lemonade he’d been saving. “Does it bother you if I stir it with my fingers, old-timer?” They shared a smile and drank the lemonade. On the third day, they reached a ridge and spotted a road that ran along a river. Their destination, a military base, was discernible on the far shore. Isaza pointed to it, and Liz- 154 E? e called out, “I'ma kidnap victim!” But he was unsteady on his feet, and the soldiers assumed he was crazy or drunk. Isaza lifted his rifle in the air to get their attention. Startled, but re- alizing it was not an attack, the sol- diers mounted a canoe and paddled toward Lizcano. Isaza remembered the stories he’d been told of the Colombian military torturing and killing rebel deserters. “Old-timer, don’t abandon me,” he said as he shrank into the foliage. “I won't,” said Lizcano before he struggled onto the boat and the sol- diers took him away. “Please understand that if I am in- coherent, it is from being out of the habit of speaking,” Lizcano told re- porters the day of his rescue. In halt- ing tones, he begged the authorities to remember the remaining hostages who were “rotting in the jungle.” Lizeano is now retired from politics and the university. He writes poetry and spends his time with Martha and readersdigest.com 3/00his sons. He led the campaign to se- cure the $400,000 reward for Isaza and for his release from military cus- tody. And he helped Isaza and his ex- guerrilla girlfriend, Lilia Isabel Bufiol, to relocate abroad. “I’m off to France,” Isaza told re- porters on December 9, with Bufiol at his side. “We have to see what the fu- ture holds for us.” Former hostage Ingrid Betancourt traveled with the couple from Bogoté to Paris—an emotional end to her tour of eight Latin American countries, during which she hoped to persuade their leaders to negotiate with the rebels. Isaza’s good fortune, she told reporters, would serve as a strong in- centive for other rebels to release their hostages. Asked after his rescue if he had any words for other kidnap victims, Liz- cano replied, “I was going on my ninth year. If I could [get out] ... then by God, I know you will too. You will enjoy freedom.” Despite the wretched circumstances of his captivity, Liz~ cano says that he kept his dignity and will intact. “Mentally I’m well,” he says, “and I feel very strong spiritu- ally too.” Every day he gives thanks to “the person who had the courage, the valor, to leave with me.” Their lives are now inextricably linked. After crossing the river on the last day of his escape, Liz~ cano collapsed. He told the soldiers his name, then pointed across the water to Isaza, who had reappeared on the shore. “I can’t abandon him.” IN THE BLACK ROCK TAVERN The large man in the Budweiser tee with serpents twining on his arms has leukemia. It doesn’t seem right but they’ve told him he won’t die for years if he sticks with the treatment. He’s talking about his years in the foundry, running a crane on an overhead track in the mill Eight hours a day moving ingots into rollers. Sometimes without a break because of the bother of getting down. Never had an accident. Never hurt anyone, He had that much control. His problem is that electricity arced through his body and accumulated. When he got down at the end of a shift he could squeeze a forty-watt light bulb between thumb and finger and make it flare. All the guys came around to see that. Judith Slater FROM PRAIRIE SCHOONER (® 2004 UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA PRESS). TO READ MORE POETRY, GOTO 5wi ° a z ° = z ° wn al w z B w o a a > a 156 AS A CLASS ACT These lifts from the early 1700s were the Manolo Blahniks of their day, though at the time, high heels were by no means for women only. Louis XIV ‘was especially enamored of towering footwear (the Louis heel was later named in his honor). Across Europe, says Elizabeth Semmelhack, curator of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, shoes then said more about status than gender: “You were expressing the fact that you weren’t walking miles, work- ing in the fields, or standing all day.” By 1730, men had begun to abandon heels, and even women gave them up (for a bit) just after the French Revolution. readersdigest.com 3/0 MATTHEW PLEXMAN/® 2oo8 BATA SHOE MUSEUMAS DOROTHY’S TICKET OUT ees ea eer imeem Le rete bakery Tee aU VU Ue eC HRN CUCU ie Cui) Peta ane seu ens seem ccc ane PCR a cee ice ee ee acetate eee ect eR eR RON gel Re MRL sR CM Cele Ble co) Se Reales aU ee ce Re rca eC CUR a PMN eee te) later Cade RUA ee orl UL UL in 1979. This year, even more shoe leather will be spent at the exhibition— it’s the film’s 7oth anniversary._ eth: Sy eee es pes ENaC eM ae CRT ee ae a alpargata worn by local farmers. PRG acu CR cua Care cial tea are Pal een runt Roma A UNess ers tc aera in ea tae ec ROR uG se eta elt eee eum given away another 100,000 on four continents. “The joy the kids express is hard to eed Me an Roa eee TE cots Rc acolo a &MITCHELL FEINBERG AS A GIANT STEP FOR MANKIND As astronauts prep for NASA's lunar visit targeted for 2020, their boots are getting an overhaul. Key to the $30,000 prototype pictured here is its bright-yellow urethane lining, which can withstand the moon’s -350°F temperature. Its designers say the material also adds flexibility, which scientists are now testing in a 50,000-year-old meteor crater in Arizona. Trekking through ash and sand in the desert is the best way to simulate a moonwalk—something lead designer David Graziosi compares to “wading through talcum powder 12 inches deep.” readersdigest.com yoo 159It was before dawn in California, and the always restless Rick Warren was at work on his home computer, exchanging e-mails with some of the 250,000 pastors in his vast network around the world. Suddenly a message from a minister in Colombo, Sri Lanka, flashed across his screen. “Rick, please pray for us,” he wrote on that December day in 2004. “We had a huge earthquake two minutes ago, and I’m sure a tidal wave is coming.” Warren, founder of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Califor- nia, did more than pray. He immediately had his staff contact church leaders in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and India with a directive: “Head for high ground. There is a disaster.” The e-mails arrived before the tsunami hit. ‘The following Sunday, he stood up at Saddleback and said, “Folks, we need to help these people who have gone through this tidal wave. Please give a little extra.” The donations that morning totaled $1.6 million, about a million dollars more than the usual Sunday of- fering. Warren sent it to the churches in the stricken region; it paid for everything from fishing nets to boat repairs. When Hurricane Katrina drowned New Orleans nine months later, Warren asked his congregation to give again—and this time raised $1.7 million. Saddleback, a mega-church in the hills of affluent Orange County, California, is one of the few in the world with the members and the e Pastor Rick Warren has amassed an enormous following of “new evangelicals.” Now he’s trying to change the world. BY CARL M. CANNONmeans to manage such generosity. But then, Warren is used to big numbers. Some 83,000 people worship at Sad- dleback, choosing from 28 church services on four campuses each week. Warren’s first book—The Purpose Driven Church, published in 1995 and aimed at pastors—has sold a million copies. In 2002 he released The Pur- pose Driven Life, which has sold 30 mil- lion, making it one of the bestselling books of all time. He and his wife give away 90 percent of their income to charity, much of it anonymously; in 2004, the last year the figures were made public, they donated $13 million. The number Warren is focused on now, though, is five—the problems he calls the five global giants: spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, ex- treme poverty, pandemic diseases, and rampant illiteracy. His solution? A five- part PEACE Plan spearheaded by pas- tors like him and, he hopes, supported by politicians worldwide: Promote reconciliation. Equip servant leaders. Assist the poor. Care for the sick, Ed- ucate the next generation. “When I preach about this to pastors around the world, [ tell them you're blessed to bless others,” Warren says. “What- ever you've been given, God doesn't give it to you so you can be a fat cat but so you can help other people.” Helping the poor and the sick wasn't always Warren’s focus. He spent the first decade of his ministry building an ever-bigger church. Then his wife, Kay, read an article about AIDS or- phans in Africa and made her first two trips there to see how she might con- tribute. After that, she learned she had breast cancer. Her diagnosis only strengthened her resolve to help the impoverished. Rick Warren took his wife’s illness—and her response to it— as a sign that he needed to refocus his ministry. “It was like the blinders came off,” he says. “I've got three advanced degrees. I went to two different sem- inaries and a Bible school. How did I miss the 2,000 verses in the Bible where it talks about the poor?” Through his global network of pas- tors, he’s recruited hundreds of thou- sands of volunteers to battle adult illiteracy in North America and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, among other causes. Warren envisions a billion Christian foot soldiers mobilized around the world using local churches to dispense everything from medical care to agricultural tools. Working with such big numbers on such an ambitious agenda has made Warren famous—and controversial. Anyone who didn’t recognize his name before last August probably did after he invited Senators Barack Obama and John McCain to Saddleback for a highly publicized forum during the presiden- tial campaign. He drew protests when he supported California’s ban on gay marriage and again when Obama chose him to give the invocation at his inauguration, “The rage against Rick “How did I miss the 2,000 Bible 162 readersdigest.com 3/00Se eC with then-candidate Cee Ete pet Ts ST) a rica Warren has come from both liberals and conservatives,” says Steven Wald- man, cofounder of the religious web- site beliefnet.com. “But actually, he’s playing a pretty significant role in changing the face of evangelical Chris- tianity in America on issues from the environment to world poverty. And he's more open to engaging with opponents, which is how this friction started.” Warren changed a great deal as he progressed from a preacher who wanted to “build a church for people who hate church” to worldwide reli- gious leader. He spoke with Reader's Digest—whose parent company re- cently launched his new magazine, Purpose Driven Connection—twice in recent months. Here are excerpts from those two interviews: Q. Were you surprised when you were selected to give the invocation? A. Iwas humbled and honored to have a tiny part in a history-making day. The invitation was completely unex- pected. I could name several dozen wonderful pastors who would have done a better job. Q. Why did you invite the two candi- dates to Saddleback last August? verses that talk about the poor?” 163a A. I'd known both senators before they decided to run for the presidency, and I happened to like them both. ‘They are both patriots, they both love America, they're both good leaders. Q. What did you hope to accomplish with the event? A. I wanted to try to tone down the rhetoric—one of my goals is to restore civility to our society. Q. That goes beyond preaching the Gospel. A. Asa pastor, I'm for the good news and the common good. The good news is about Jesus Christ. The common good—whether you believe in Jesus Christ or not—is that we're all on this planet. We're all a part of humanity. Q. How did you choose Southern California to start spreading your message? A, It was a total move on faith. I had graduated from the seminary, and Kay and I were living in Fort Worth, Texas. Iremember telling her, “I think we're supposed to go to Southern California and start a new church. What do you think?” She said, “Well, it scares me to death, but I believe in God and I be- lieve in you, so let’s do it.” So we got in the car and dragged a U-Haul behind us. We arrived here on January 1, 1980, in the middle of rush-hour traffic— I grew up in a village of about 500 people—and I said, “God, you got the ‘wrong guy. What am I doing here?” 164 Q. How did you find your answer? A. I pulled off the highway, and we walked into this real estate office and met an agent named Don Dale. I said, “My name is Rick Warren. I am 25 years old. I'm here to start a church. I don’t have any members. I don’t have abuilding. I don’t know anybody here. I don’t have any money, and I need a place to live.” Within two hours, that guy found us a condo. He convinced the owner to give us a free month of rent and nothing down. Q. Did Don join your church? A. We were driving to the condo with him and I said, “Hey, Don, do you go to church anywhere?” He said, “No, no. I hate church.” I said, “Great. You're my first member.” We started with my family and his family. Our first service was on Easter Sunday in 1980, with 200 people. For Easter in 2008, we had 14 services back-to-back, with 45,000 peo- ple. Don is still a member here. Q. When did you decide to expand beyond Lake Forest? A. In our second decade, we said, “Okay, now we're going to go national, and we're going to help others.” I cared about the little churches with 50 or 75 members. Maybe they couldn't afford to pay someone full-time to be their pastor, and I said, “Let’s help these guys.” So I started training pastors, and in the ’90s, I trained about 250,000 people all over America. After that, ‘we reached out globally. readersdigest.com 3/00Q. What have your travels around the world taught you? A. I have seen the quick jump from political division to hatred in too many countries. All ofa sudden, the guy you disagree with is evil, and you demon- ize him. In Rwanda you call him a cockroach and you create this men- tality that can lead to genocide. It’s one step from dehumanizing people who have a different view on a value that you hold dear to depersonalizing them so they are no longer human— and then you have a right to just get rid of them, Hitler did it. Idon’t think we want to go down that path. Q. How do we ensure that we don’t? A. The idea of tolerance has to come back into style. Tolerance means treat you with respect even when we totally disagree ona particular issue. You’re a child of God. You're worthy of dignity. We may disagree, but we're going to tolerate each other, and even more than that, we can be friends. _ respect even when we disagree” Q. You've said it’s important for evangelicals to be more about what they're for than what they're against. When you came out against gay marriage, Saddleback was picketed. One woman, a lesbian who attends Saddleback, said how disappointed she was in you. A. You're never going to please every- body. I don't need to agree with some- body in order to love them, I don’t need to agree with somebody in order to help them either. I hope they feel the same way about me. Q. What's your advice for someone who wants to live a more meaningful life? A. Love God and other people with all you've got! Living a purpose-driven life means making an intentional shift from self-centered thinking to other- centered thinking. Ask yourself, “What should be the contribution of my life?” By knowing your combination of gifts, abilities, and experiences, you'll see where you can make a difference. MY KINGDOM FOR A FLASHLIGHT My favorite spot at our local z09 is the House of Night, where nocturnal creatures crawl and fly about. One very bright day, | stepped into the exhibit and was plunged into total darkness. Almost immediately, a small hand grabbed mine. “and who do you belong to?” | asked. His answer came swiftly: “’m yours till the lights come on” Connie Lavoie 165Dumb | Thihes We andeighttricksto keep errors at bay BY JOSEPH T. HALLINAN FROM WHY WE MAKE MISTAKES We all know the expression “To err is human.” And this is true enough. When something goes wrong, the cause is overwhelmingly attributable to human error: airplane crashes (70 percent), car wrecks (90 percent), workplace accidents (90 percent). Once a human is blamed, the inquiry usually stops there. But it shouldn’t—not if we want to eliminate the mistake. We're all affected by certain biases in the way we see, remember, and perceive the world, and these 166 iLusTRatMonetii? Magetti? Spaghettis Minnelli!biases make us prone to commit cer- tain types of errors. As a journalist who's spent years studying the sci- ence of human error, I’ve identified common mistakes that afflict us all. Here are seven, along with ways to avoid making them in the first place. 1.We make slips of the tongue. There is a mistake committed by peo- ple of all ages and cultures: We fail to come up with the name of a person we know or, even more embarrassing, we call the person by the wrong name. Researchers call these gaffes slip-of- the-tongue or tip-of-the-tongue errors, or TOTs, for short. For most people, they occur about once a week. One of the more infamous slips oc- curred just before the 1992 Super Bowl. Joe Theismann, a former quarterback for the Washington Redskins, was in- terviewed by two reporters about Red- skins coach Joe Gibbs. Gibbs was, and still is, considered one of the finest offensive strategists. The reporters wanted to know whether Theismann thought Gibbs was a genius. Theismann didn’t think so. In the first place, he said, the word genius isn’t applicable to a sport like football. Added Theismann, “A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.” Norman Einstein? Clearly Theis- mann meant to say Albert Einstein. Too late. His slip made national news, and Theismann became the poster child for dumb jocks everywhere. But WHY WE MAKE MISTAKES, COPYRIGHT © 2 his remark really wasn’t as dumb as it first appeared to be. Research shows that most TOTs in- volve the unique names of people or places. If you’re searching for a com- mon noun—such as the name of the computer part that displays text—you can say monitor or screen. But for a proper name, only one word will do. ‘When a proper name is on the tip of our tongues, we can usually recall some of the information we need. For instance, people can often guess the right number of syllables in the name, even the name's first letter. In one study, a participant tried to identify a picture of the actress Liza Minnelli. The person couldn’t produce her name but wrote out names that came tantalizingly close: Monetti, Mona, Magetti, Spaghetti, Bogette. Another clue to the TOTs riddle is that recall of the right name is often blocked by a wrong name. But not just any wrong name. The wrong name typically has the same meaning as the right name. If you're thinking about a smart person like Albert Einstein, for instance, the wrong name will likely be that of another person you also con- sider very smart. This is where the Theismann story gets interesting. There really is a Norman Einstein. He’s an emergency room physician at Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory, North Carolina. He and Joe Theismann were classmates at South River High School in New Jersey. “I was a senior when he was a soph- omore,” Dr. Einstein said. As boys, they BY JOSEPH T-HALLINAN, IS PUBLISHED T $24.95,lived just blocks apart. “We played a little bit of basketball, touch foot- ball—that kind of stuff.” But they weren’t close friends: Theismann was a jock, Einstein a brain. Ein- stein graduated in 1965 and was the class valedicto- rian. He attended Rutgers University and then med- ical school at Tufts Uni- versity. Theismann headed to the NFL. Twenty-seven years later, in a corner of the Metrodome in Min- neapolis, Norman Ein- stein’s name popped back into Joe Theismann’s head. In Theismann’s mind, the surface details regard- ing Norman Einstein and Albert Einstein may have faded, but their common meaning had not: Both ‘were very smart guys We wear rose- colored glasses. Without intentionally trying to dis- tort the record, we're all prone to re- calling our own words and deeds ina more favorable light than others may recall. To demonstrate, answer this question objectively (but only if you kept all your old report cards): How did you do in high school? The answer: probably not as well as Joseph T. Hallinan is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and a former Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. you remember—at least not if stu- dents at Ohio Wesleyan University are any guide. In one study, they were asked to recall their high school grades. Researchers checked the stu- dents’ responses against the actual transcripts. No less than 29 percent of the recalled grades were wrong. This was not ancient history; the students were college freshmen and sopho- mores being asked about their grades just a few years earlier. What's more, the errors weren’t neutral. Far more grades were shifted upward (recalling an A rather than a B) than downward. Students also had abetter memory for good grades than for bad. The recall accuracy for A’s | was 89 percent; for D’s, it was 29 per- 169cent (researchers threw out the F's). Overall, 79 percent of students inflated their grades. Time and again, people have been shown to reconstruct their memories in positive, self-flattering ways. Par- ents have been shown to remember their parenting methods as being far closer to what expert opinion would prescribe than they actually were, And gamblers remember their wins more keenly than their losses. This inclination is so powerful that, according to researchers at the Uni- versity of Chicago and the University of Virginia, we also recognize our own 170 faces as being more phys- ically attractive than oth- ers judge them to be. 3.When we multitask, we get stupid. The brain slows down when it has to juggle tasks. In one experiment, re- searchers asked adults be- tween the ages of 18 and 32 to identify two images: colored crosses and geo- metric shapes, such as tri- angles. Seems simple enough, right? But when the participants saw col- ored crosses and shapes at the same time, they needed almost a full sec- ond of reaction time to press a button. Even then, they often made mistakes. If the participants were asked to iden- tify the images one at a time—crosses first, then shapes—the process went almost twice as quickly. Switching from task to task creates other problems. We can forget what we were doing or planned to do. The to-do list in our brains is known as working memory, and it keeps track of all the short-term stuff we need to remember, like an e-mail address someone just gave us. But the contents of our working memory can evaporate like water ina desert; after only about two seconds, things begin to disappear. Within readersdigest.com 3/015 seconds of considering a new prob- lem, you'll have forgotten the old prob- lem. In some cases, the forgetting rate can be as high as 40 percent. Work- place studies have found that it takes up to 15 minutes to regain a deep state of concentration after a distraction. This squares with what researchers found when they looked at the work habits of Microsoft employees. A group of them took, on average, 15 minutes to get back to serious mental tasks, like writing reports or computer codes, after they responded to in- coming e-mails. Why so long? Typically, the employees strayed off to reply to other messages or browse the Web. In workplace cubicles, we're safe (most of the time). But out in the real world, multitasking can be dangerous. In 1999, the U.S. Army studied the effect talking on a cell phone had on driving ability. Its conclusion? “All forms of cellular phone usage lead to significant de- creases in abilities to respond to high- way traffic situations.” This was especially true for older drivers. The older we are, the harder it becomes to screen out distractions. The decline is noticeable after age 40. 4.We see, but we don’t see. Sometimes a person can look directly at something and still not see it. In ex- periments done in the early 1990s, re- searchers found that a surprising number of participants were unaware of certain objects that were presented to them in visual tests. This tendency held true not only when the presented objects were small but when they were large and quite obvious. (Con- stimony sider, also, how eyewitness persistently fails.) A real-life demonstration of the “we see, but we don’t see” mistake oc- curred in 2004 near Washington, D.C. On November 14, a 44-year-old char- The better we are at something, the more likely we are to skim. ter bus driver picked up a group of students at the Baltimore/Washing- ton airport for a trip to Mount Ver- non, George Washington's home. By all accounts, the driver was in a bad mood that day. He was upset about the way another driver in the en- tourage was treating him. So he got on the phone and vented about it. The students’ route that morning took them along the George Wash- ington Memorial Parkway. The park- way passes through rolling hills and beneath arched overpasses, including a stone bridge. About a quarter of a mile before it, a large yellow sign warns that the arched overpass ahead has a clearance of just over ten feet in the right-hand lane. For cars, this is no problem. But the alcharter bus was 12 feet tall. The driver needed to move toward the center lane, under the peak of the arch, where the clearance is well over 13 feet. This is what the lead bus did. Yet the second bus never changed lanes. The driver continued talking on the phone. The bus slammed into the bridge, and the collision sheared off the right side of the bus’s roof, expos- ing a gaping hole. One student was se- riously injured. After the accident, the driver was interviewed by the National Trans- portation Safety Board. His statement shows the power of inattentional blindness. He told investigators that not only did he fail to see the yellow warning sign, he failed to see the bridge itself. 5.Wenoticeona | need-to-know basis. Often we fail to pick up major changes to scenes even while we're actually viewing them. ‘The profound impact of this “change blindness” was demonstrated a decade ago in an experiment by Daniel Simons and Daniel Levin, then at Cornell Uni- versity. The experiment was simple: The researchers had strangers on a college campus ask pedestrians for di- rections. But there was a twist. As the stranger and the pedestrian talk, they’re interrupted by two men who pass between them while carrying a door. The interruption is brief—it only lasts a second—but something impor- tant happens. One of the men carry- 172 ing the door trades places with the stranger. When the door is gone, the pedestrian is confronted with a dif- ferent person, who continues the con- versation as if nothing had happened. Would the pedestrians notice the change? In more than half of the cases, the answer was no. Only seven of the 15 pedestrians reported noticing. You may think, I would have noticed a change like that. And maybe you would have. But consider that you’ve probably seen countless similar changes and not noticed them—in the movies. Movie scenes, of course, are not filmed sequentially but shot in a different order than they appear in the film, usually months apart. This process often re- sults in embarrassing mistakes known in the industry as continuity errors. One of the most famous of these comes in the chariot scene in the 1959 Hollywood epic Ben-Hur, which lasts for 11 minutes but took three months to film. During the race, Messala dam- ages Ben-Hur’s chariot with his saw- toothed wheel hubs. But at the end of the race, if you look closely, you will see that Ben-Hur’s chariot appears undamaged. There’s also a mix-up in the num- ber of chariots. The race begins with nine; during the race, six crash. That should leave three at the end, but there are four. Even experts cannot catch every mistake. “It’s not humanly possible,” says Claire Hewitt, who has super- vised scripts on a variety of movies over the years. The best you can do, readersdigest.com 3/001. Think small. Each year in the United States, some 7,000 people die from medication errors— and many of them are made because of doctors’ sloppy handwriting. Little things do mean a lot. 2.Think negatively. When you have a major decision to make, ask, What could go wrong? While putting a positive spin on things can influence their outcome, positive thinking also blinds us to pitfalls. So look for and even expect failure. It’s “the power of negative thinking” says Atul Gawande, MD, of Harvard Medical School. 3. Think differently. Habit is a great friend, saving us time and mental effort. But it can kill our out there. Mistake-Proof Your Life ability to perceive novel situations. After a while, we see only what we expect to see. 4. Slow down. Multitask- ing can cause our error rate to go up, as our at- tention becomes divided. It makes sense to slow down and do things one at a time. The slower approach may actually be more efficient in the long run. 5. Get more sleep. Sleepy people make mistakes, and there are staggering numbers of sleep-deprived people 6. Beware anecdotes. When making decisions, we often give vivid bits of information—like diet testimonials—more cre- dence than they deserve. The power of anecdotes to lead us astray is so strong that an influential CIA study advises intelli- gence analysts not to rely on them. Ask for averages, not testimonials. 7- Put off decisions until you're in a better mood. Good feelings increase the tendency to combine material in new ways and see relatedness between things. Happy people tend to be more creative and less prone to errors. 8. Use constraints. Simple mental aids keep us on the right track. The color red works well be- cause this extreme and powerful color signifies “stop.” Asong’s melody can be a constraint against forgetting; it’s why jingles stay with us long after commercials do. she says, is to try to spot the most important things. 6. We skim when we shouldn’t. Few industries make a habit of con- fessing their errors. But one does ona daily basis: newspapers. Their correc- tion columns often make such deli- cious reading that in 2004 Craig Silverman, a freelance writer in Mon- treal, launched a website devoted to them, regrettheerror.com. Each year, he compiles the industry's greatest hits, as it were, into a book of the same name. A favorite was published a few years ago in the Wall Street Journal: “Some jesters in a British competition described in a page-one article last Monday ride on unicycles. The article incorrectly said that they ride on 73unicorns.” How could the editors have missed that? While it’s tempting to attribute mistakes like this to simple carelessness, the explanation is more complicated. When we read an article, odds are, we don’t read every single letter in every single word in every single sen- “Nearly everyone is overconfident, except those who are depressed. They tend to be realists.” tence. We've read enough words and sentences that we can recognize pat- terns. If the sentence begins, “The thirsty man licked his ...,” the final word is probably lips. Likewise, if our eyes pick up a short word that begins with th-, we will probably assume that the final letter is e. Human perception is, above all, eco- nomical; we notice some things and not others. And the better we are at something, the more likely we are to skim. Good sight readers of music don’t read music note by note; they scan for familiar patterns and cues. This lets them play with the fluidity that other musicians must practice to achieve. But with this ability comes a trade- off: Details are overlooked. Decades ago, a distinguished piano teacher, Boris Goldovsky, discovered a mis- 174 print in a much-used edition of a Brahms capriccio after a student played the note at a lesson. Goldovsky stopped the pupil and told her to fix her mistake. She looked confused; she had played what was written. To Goldovsky’s surprise, there was an ap- parent misprint in the music. Why, he wondered, had no one—the composer, the publisher, the proofreader, other pianists— noticed the error? They had all misread the music and mis- read it in the same way. They had inferred a sharp sign in front of the note because in the musical context, it had to be a G-sharp, not a G-natural. Goldovsky conducted his own experiment. He told skilled pianists that there was a mis- print in the piece and asked them to find it. He allowed them to play the piece as many times as they liked. Not one musician found the error. (For music fans, the piece is Brahms’s op. 76, no. 2, The mistake occurs in bar 78.) 7. We think we’re better than we are. When a Princeton University research team asked people to estimate how susceptible they and the “average per- son” were to judgmental biases, most people claimed to be less biased than others. Which should come as no sur- prise. Most of us hate to think of our- selves as average or, heaven forbid, below average. So we walk around with this private conceit that we're above readersdigest.com 3/00average, and therein lies the seed of many of our mistakes. “Overconfidence is, we think, a very general feature of human psychology,” says Stefano DellaVigna, an associate professor of economics at the University of Cali- fornia, Berkeley. He's studied the ways in which over- confidence induces us to commit every- day errors of judgment, from signing up for gym memberships we'll never use to buying time-shares in a condo (which we also won't use, at least not as much as we think we will). “Nearly everyone is overconfident,” he says, “except the people who are depressed. ‘They tend to be realists.” Oddly, as tasks get harder, overcon- fidence tends to go up, not down. Even when given a nearly impossible job— like telling the difference between drawings by Asian children and those by European children—people think they'll perform better than they do. So strong is our belief in our own abilities that we often believe we can control even chance events, such as flipping a coin or cutting a deck of cards. But it’s an illusion of control. And it’s not limited to those who make a living at the racetrack or in other high-stakes endeavors. Corporate ex- ecutives often display overconfidence in their judgments about the thing they think they know best: their busi- nesses. In a well-known series of tests, managers were quizzed about their knowledge of their own industries; 99 percent proved overconfident. é@ For more on mistakes and how to avoid them, and to buy Joseph Hallinan’s book, go to readersdigest.com/mistakes. WHY TEACHERS NEED LONG SUMMER VACATIONS The topic of our seventh-grade science class was Dolly, the sheep cloned in Scotland several years back. We discussed how scientists removed the nucleus from the sheep egg cell and replaced it with the nucleus from the parent cell. The students were fascinated, one in particular. “This is amazing” she said. “I had no idea sheep laid eggs” Aimee Caruso “Hello, Mrs. Miller,” said the bearded guy behind the counter of the bagel shop. My husband and | looked at him but drew com- plete blanks. “I’m sorry, do we knaw each other?” lasked. “Yeah, you was my English teacher.” Leaning over, my husband whispered, “Good job, honey. Good job.” Elizabeth Miller 75Preto Baa aan POH DREBDING #< PERFECT JALAPEAG: Ea TN i See een ne en Parag dee, well, that there's an obsession. It’s also why jar after jar, Cra veuene mete STUD eres eo /Ry laa etait) Ba vest SEE NEXT PAGE FOR RECIPE Dla RE cee ae MarR Ue ola Cel] Certem rated uncut yeaa) Tiel ae Tse Rola d EV) ea ciate tee ara Roe ra OL‘These recipes all use a time ey shaving, trouble-savinggadget_ ~~ that may already be in your kitchen cupboard:a‘ slow cooker. This neglected but easy-to-use appli- ance prepares your meals while you're running errands (or having fun!). It also saves you money, because long, slow cooking turns cheaper cuts of meat fork- tender by dinnertime. Plus, ituses much less energy than a standard oven—which keeps even more cash in your pocket. For slow-cooker succ« Stick to the recipe. Don’t experiment with amounts, especially of liquids—they won’t evaporate. Your slow cookershould always be between half and two thirds full. Keep the lid on. Youadd 20 minutes to the cooking time whenever you lift the cover. Add tender foods last. Save ingredients like quicker-cooking pastas, seafood, and milk forthe final 30 minutes. Diane Werner, RD 178 ON THE OPENER Astew so tasty, you won’t realize it’s low in fat—and high in fiber, with three kinds of beans. A heart-healthy choice. 1 Ib. smoked turkey sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into ¥4-inch slices ! 4 can (16 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained | 1can (15%, 02.) great northern beans, rinsed and drained 1 can (15 02.) black beans, rinsed and drained 114 cups frozen corn 14 cups salsa 1 large green pepper, chopped 1 large onion, chopped to 1 cup water (enough to fill cooker at least halfway) 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp. ground cumin In 5-qt. slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours or until meat is tender. Stir before serving, Yield: 6 servings. Nutrition Facts: 1/4 cups equals 350 calories, 5g fat (1g saturated fat), 47 mg cholesterol, 1,412 mg sodium, 51 g carbohydrate, 12 g fiber, 26 g protein, D. J, College Station, Teras readersdigest.com 3/0 Low COOKER) co! 2 6 (ALL Foo) TACrunchy. Tasty. Better than breadcrumbs. ES aes FRENCH’S® CRUNCH’ ONION CHICKEN” F Prop Ti | Cook Time: 20 minutes | 2 cups (407.) FRENCH’S® Original | or Cheddar French Fried Onions | 2 tbsp. flour | 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts } 1 egg, beaten Crueh Fronch Fried Onions with flour in plastic bag {Dip chicken into egg, then coat in onion crumbs. } Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes until cooked through. {Look for us in the canned vegeiable aisle. \ www.frenchsfoods.comFive zesty ingredients add up to a lot of flavor. 2.cans (15Y, 02. each) whole-kernel corn, drained 1 can (15 02,) black beans, rinsed and drained 1 jar (16 02, chunky salsa, divided 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (4 02. each) 1 cup (4.02) shredded Cheddar cheese In 5-qt. slow cooker, combine corn, black beans, and % cup salsa. Top with chicken; pour remaining salsa over chicken. Cover and cook on high 3 to 4 hours or on low 7 to 8 hours or until meat juices run clear. Sprinkle with cheese; cover until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Yield: 6 servings. Nutrition Facts: One serving equals 220 ealories, 6 g fat (4g saturated fat), 30 mg cholesterol, 805 mg sodium, 21g. carbohydrate, 6g fiber, 12g protein. K. W., Laurel, Maryland Spaghetti e A family classic that requires 2 tbs. Italian seasoning Nutrition Facts: One serving equals steady attention on the 1 tbs. dried basil 231 calories, 8 g fat (3 gsaturated fat), 45 mg cholesterol, 1,188 mg stovetop, this sauce is just 2 tsp. dried marjoram solu, sg carbohycrte, 4g 6; as delicious when made 1 tsp. salt 17 protein. in the slow cooker—and ¥, tsp. pepper A. S., Redmond, Washington much less demanding. Hot cooked spaghetti a 1 Ib. lean ground beef In large skillet over Ca 1 Ib. Italian sausage medium heat, cook ¢5 487 5 SS 1 medium green pepper, beef and sausage chopped until no longer pink; q medium onion, chopped drain. Transfer to 5-qte re 8 garlic cloves, minced slow cooker. Stir in green on he =e 3.cans (14% oz. each) Italian —_ pepper, onion, garlic, ley ee diced tomatoes, drained tomatoes, tomato sauce and 2cans (15 oz. each) tomato _ paste, sugar, and seasonings; sauce mix well. Cover and cook on 2cans (6 0z,each) tomato —_ low hours or until bubbly. paste Serve over spaghetti. cup sugar Yield: 12 servings. 180Pork Roast with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy w The ultimate comfort food—made So you can put your feet up too. 1 boneless whole pork loin roast (3 to 4 Ib.) 1.can (14% 02.) chicken broth 1 cup julienned sweet red pepper Y,cup chopped onion Ycup cider vinegar 2 tbs. Worcestershire sauce 1 tbs. brown sugar 2tsp. Italian seasoning 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper 2 tsp. cornstarch 2tsp. cold water 2. cups prepared mashed potatoes $3.17/ Bt aa 4 1. Cut roast in half; transfer to 5-qt. slow cooker. In small bowl, combine broth, red pepper, onion, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and seasonings; pour over pork. Cover and cook on low 3to 4 hours or until meat thermometer reads 160°F and meat is tender. 2. For gravy, strain cooking juices and skim fat; pour 1 cup into small saucepan. Com- bine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into cooking juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. 3. Meanwhile, in small microwave-safe bowl, heat potatoes on high 2 to 3 min- utes or until warmed through. Slice pork; serve with potatoes and gravy. Yield: 4 servings. Nutrition Facts: One serving of 4% oz. cooked pork with 14 cup mashed potatoes and ¥4 cup gravy equals 370 calories, 14 g fat (9 g saturated fat), 91 mg choles- terol, 762mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 34g protein. L. B., Kansas City, Missouri readersdigest.com 3/09 > Hooked on slow-and-easy? For more slow-cooker recipes, as well as other dishes destined to become family favorites, go to tasteofhomecom. Every reader recipe is tested by culinary experts and registered dietitians, so you can count on success each time you try ‘one, Also check out Taste of Home Casseroles, Slow Cooker & Soups, on sale at newsstands through April 27, for 2x5 fuss-free meals. KENKEN ANSWERS / SEE PAGE 189 IE eo) Pee aT ela] /af als 2141113) 's 4|1]'6/ 2/3 2.53/11) [3 sle afil2 3halal2 1625.5 4 r4{3/s|2|6]4 1/3)2 4) [ofilalsisle 181can help... OJoint Pain O Restless Leg Syndrome Ci Constipation ( Poor Circulation UO Insomnia QO) Diabetes O Sleep Apnea (Neuropathy () Edema impact on the joints ! do aerobic type exercise such as Running Jumping cycling? If so, you should be using the Exerciser 2000 Elite.’ Receive seme of the benepits op aerobic eons ae RS PAS8IVE CNOACISC Increase circulation throughout the bod oo ' Increased mobility + Built 150-2001 = GRTAED city Energize the body cere lelps relieve stiffness from head to toe + ETL Approval + 5speed operation +2 pre-programmed Relaxation of the back muscles selects —one for relaation te cena How Does the Exerciser 2000 Elite” Work? eee + Just lie down, place your ankles on the ankle rest, turn the machine + Wide cshioned on and let it do the work. a ictal timer + Itcreates a 2 inch, right to left movement that gently moves the body with sfety aa back and forth. + 2year parts ane . . . laborwarranty + This gentle swinging motion cycles up through the whole body, eens creating an exercise movement without stress or impact on the joints. #15" wide: eepx95° high Dont be fooled by cheap imitations “These starements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Not intended ereat, cure or prevene any diseases,What people are saying about the Exerciser 2000 Elite” Thave had pain in both of my knees since I had them replaced in 2000, 6 months apart. My husband purchased one of your Exerciser 2000 Elite™ machines. I use it when I first get up in the morning and the last thing at night before I go to bed. I put two pillows under my knees for support and use the lowest speed for a few. minutes. After a couple of days I worked up to 2 full 16 minute session. What a blessing! I have no pain, can walk better, keep my balance better and am so grateful, at 77, to lead a normal life again. I thank you so much. —Given S. Thad been spending my days just waiting when I saw your ad in Guideposts for the Exerciser 2000 Elite™. I had edema of my left foot and leg, two bad falls and a fear of falling which made me inactive. I'm 97 years old. Could it really help me? My daughter encouraged me to try it. I did. Ie’s working! I feel alive again and have a new zest for life, thanks to you. —Grace R PS. My daughter loves it too! Little did I know when I Exerciser 2000 Flite™ that ie ould ae Sn © wil of 62 years I gor it forthe stifines in my legs and it works perfectly to get me loosened up see 7 Playing tennis in the morning. When | coms home St6+95— Use code B800 when ordering by phone or website and receive a promotional price of $389.95 and FREE shipping in the Continental United States. ! 90 Day No Risk Money Back Guarantee—You have nothing to lose. If you are not completely satisfied, you can return it for a full refund. Save $100 on reconditioned units when available. Price, terms and conditions subject to change without notice. how much I like 1 to tell you and everyone : ee 2000 Hlite™. 1 had such ae ain that I could not stand it. I saw your a4 it TS Kimerican Legion magazine ewo years ago. At that time, I thought it wouldn't help. But, I ie ‘one anyway. Up to the time T received the 2000 Elite™, I still had doubts if it wor fies Twas wrong, [ have used it for four months now. Now I have very little back pain, am more rela, and I sleep rouch better thanks to the Exerclct 2000 Elite™. | would not ever part with it. greatest thing I ever bought. —Cliford C check. I am more grateful to heavy, stiff with arthritis an past nine years. Using your has made me feel ten years great deal more energy. Whe company is in the business o Do you have trouble getting down on the floor? Call or visit our website for information about the Clark Exerciser Elite™ Table! ark ENTERPRISES 2000 INC The helping peaple feel better 240 Berg Road, Salina, KS 67401 1-800-748-7172 www.clarkenterprises2000.comYou find out who your real friends are whenyow’re involved inascandal. sicsen ror Friends are God’s way of KN apologizing to us for our SS families. Anonymous | Every business is built on friendship. } J. C. Penney Close friends [make] the music sound sweeter, the wine taste richer, the laughter ring louder. Judith Viorst, Necessary Losses It’s the ones you can call up at 4.a.m that matter. Marlene Dietrich | ONe friend ina lifetime is much; two are many; three are hardly possible. Areal friend is one who walks in when Henry Adams the rest of the world walks out. Walter Winchel Everybody’s friend is nobody’s. Arthur Schopenhauer Everybody wants to ride with you in the limo, but what you need is somebody who will take the bus with you when. the limo breaks down, Oprah Winfrey | The best mirror is an old friend. George Herbert, Welsh poctand priest You can always tell a real friend: When youve made a fool of yourself, he doesn’t feel you've done a permanent job. My mother used to say that there are no strangers, only friends you haven’t met yet. She’s now in a maximum-security twilight home in Australia. Dene manaRwerage | Laurence J. Peter Atrue friend is someone who thinks that you area good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked. Bernard Meltzer, radio host and personality 184 resdersdigest.com sic DAVID LIVINGSTON/GETTY IMAGES, ILLUSTRATED BY JOHN KASCHTAdvertisement Durango, CO : Real Western. Real Mountains. Real Colorado. Durango is t ‘old west” te dream about live your dream! Call 1-800-463-8726 or visit harming, you t's time (oroNoS Wok MLW lemoco) Vas Since Bolt) cig Real Rockies .. Good Times R Mountain Nation: Park for hiking, sightseein and Estes Park at i front door for lodging, dining, shopping and fun for all. Visit Real or 1-800-44-ESTES, Ext. C9 for your free guide pers COLORADO Rae NM VCO Loko L Urol) ETTAdvertisement Gold West Country invites you to find out more about its distinct scenery, attractions and the experiences it offers. Visit our websi goldwest com <> or call 1-800-879-1159 4 > 2 ext. 902. tt ab Do More in Des Moines! Do More in Greater Des Moines! Our smal town charm, affordable attractions, restaurants with flair and unique shopping will keep the whole family smiling, Visit SeeDesMoines. com to see how you 2 can Do More! Visit SeeDesMoines.com or call 1-800-451-2625. BE Make a splash Huntington Beach- style! Unwind at the most pristine and family-friendly beach in Southern California Free Visitors Guide and great hotel rates at SurfCityUSA.com/RD or call 1-800-729-6232 lowa Tourism away. Two FREE NEW publications: lowa Travel Guide — all about attractions, adventures and accommodations — and lowa Map — how to get there, Call 1-800-345-IOWA, Ext. 345, or visit travel PRR ©2872 9 0% recs to plan a great trip is just a toll-free call SR Ta Dubuque; plus admission to the Nutionai M Museum & Aquarium, lowa’s #1 Tourist Attraction.ILLUSTRATED BY INGO FAST Arabian Sources Dozens of English words, from admiral, to zero, have Arabic origins. How many do you know? Try our vocabulary quiz and puzzles. For answers, turn the page. ipher ('sye-fur) n.— A: gentle breeze. B: musky perfume. C: encoded message. 2. nadir (‘nay-deer or "nay-der) n—A: hub of a wheel. B: lowest point. C: polite refusal. 3. loofah (‘loo-fuh) n— ‘A: sponge from a gourd. ater pipe for smoking. C: slipper with curled toe. 4. kismet (*kiz-met) n— A: lovers’ tryst. B: journey on foot. C: fate. 5. fakir (fuh-'keer or 'fay- kur) n—A: sham or fraud. B: holy beggar. C: tassel ona fez. 6. macramé (‘mack-ruh- may) n—A: two-masted ship. B: honeyed cereal. C: knot-tying art. 7. popinjay (‘pah-pun-jay) n.—A: conceited person. skewer for kebabs. C: uninvited guest. 8. mufti (‘muff-tee) n— ‘A: confusing situation. = | Riddle te tetters in each word or phrase below can be rearranged to form a common English word with an Arabic root. See how many you can unscramble. 1. mile 2.melon 3. Argus 4.coeval 5, microns 6. replica 7. smart set . transmuting substances. Word Pewer EMILY COX 9. sirocco (shuh-'rah-co) n—A: hot, dry wind. B: head-to-foot gown. C: siege. 10. carafe (kuh-'raf) n—A: slide rule. B: steep decline. C: bottle with a flared lip. vi. roc (‘rock) n— A: flying carpet. B: narcotic horseman. brown dye. C: nag. 13. fatwa ('faht-wah) n— A: decree. B: sneak attack. C: period of feasting, 14. borax (‘bore-ax) n.— A: desert-dwelling spider. B; weaving tool. C: mineral used as a cleansing agent. 15. alchemy (‘al-kuh-mee) n—A: chaos. B: forerunner of chess. C: process of & HENRY RATHVON r (illick-sur) n— A; collarbone. B: cure-all. C: happiness. Baa Word Add a letter in each blank square to spell a word reading down. The nine new letters will spell a word that meant, in its © original Persian, “The king is unable to escape” TIN|RIRIS|AIRS Ol N | WI A NAnswers 1. cipher—[C] encoded message. I’m 13. fatwa—[A] decree. The boss has not sure what it says—it’s one of his issued a fatwa against lunch breaks usual BlackBerried ciphers. until we've finished the Morgan report. 2. nadir—[B] lowest point. When the _14. borax—[C] mineral used as a bowling alley did away with gutter cleansing agent. There’s not enough guards, Claudine’s score plunged to borax in the world to clean this mess. an all-time nadir. 15. alchemy—[C] process of transmut- 3. loofah—[A] sponge from a gourd. ing substances. With a few chickpeas Her shower caddy is crowded with botani- cal shampoos and loofahs in all sizes. 4. kismet—[C] fate. It was kismet when Pete spilled wine on another party guest; they're now married. 5. fakir—[B] holy beggar. = — Louie mooches change for the vending machine like a fakir. 6. macramé—[C] knot-tying art. My SS six-year-old’s hair is so tangled, it looks like macramé, 7. popinjay—[A] conceited person. The party was full of bores, morons, and popinjays. 8. mufti—[B] civilian dress. No one recognized the meter maid in mufti, and she was grateful. and a can of tomato sauce, my grand- mother could work alchemy. 16. elixir—[B] cure-all. And Gram’s soup was an elixir that could cure the sniffles and the blues. 9. sirocco—[A] hot, dry wind. The a lone fan in the Laundromat created a ~ sirocco that blew dryer lint around the = RATINGS 8-10 dragoman 11-13 sultan windowless room. 14-16 alchemist 10. carafe—[C] bottle with a flared lip. The picnic was so fancy, the Kool-Aid 5 Riddle ‘was served ina crystal corde: | Lime 2. lemon 3. sugar 4. alcove 11. roc—[C] legendary bird. The bird | 5, crimson 6. caliper 7. mattress feeder was empty and knocked to the | | > The Last Word ground, as if a roc had visited. | Th \ fi 12, henna—[B] reddish-brown dye. The New letters spell CHECKMATE. ‘The chocolate Lab would have won a Challenge a friend to beat your ribbon, but the judges found out its score in our all-new online game at coat had been treated with henna. | readersdigest.com/wordpowergame. 188 readersdigest.com 3/09© 2008 GAKKEN CO... LTD., AND TRADEMARK NEXTOY, LLC, Puz_ler WILL SHORTZ PRESENTS KENMKEN™ oe Invented by a Japanese teacher, se f the KenKen puzzle adds another layer of challenge by introducing math to the traditional Sudoku. 7 EASIER @ a 4 rr HARDER Ye RULES 1. Fill in each box in the easier puzzle with a number from 1 to 4; in the hard- er puzzle, 1to 6. 2. Do not repeat anumber in any row orcolumn. 3. The numbers in each heavily out- lined set of squares, called cages, must combine (in any order) to produce the target number in the top corner using the mathematical operation indicated. a For answers, see page 181. For a ‘sample solved puzzle and two more puzzles, go to readersdigest.com/kenken. readersdigest.com 3/09Life fter hearing stories about radioactivity in granite countertops, my wife became alarmed. “T have granite in my kitchen,” she told a friend. “Maybe you should get a Geiger counter,” her friend suggested. My wife was in- trigued. “Are those the granite imitations they sell at Costco?” Daniel Oster, Erie,Coloraéo ur lawn was under attack by moles, so T bought a Havahart trap and—voila!—caught one. “Honey,” I called to my wife. “Look! What should I do with it?” She replied, “Bury it.” Lars Fredin, MeBain,Michigen Nv bargain-happy brother took his eight-year-old son to the pizzeria to pick up their order. Corey wanted to get the pizza himself, so my brother handed him a $20 bill and a $2 coupon and waited in the car. A few minutes later, 190 Considering divorce, | was feeling pretty blue. “It’s not just me,” I whined to my mother. “Do you know anyone who is happily married?” Mom nodded. “Your father.” C. Heinecke, Menifee, California Corey appeared with the pizza, change, and the coupon. “Wouldn’t they take the coupon?” my brother asked. “Oh, sure, but we didn’t need it,” said Corey. “We had enough money.” Alan Zoldan, Wesley Hills, New York t was my four-year-old’s first time at a funeral, and I wanted to make sure he behaved at the cemetery. “What is the most impor- tant rule to remember?” I asked. He thought for a while, then answered, “Don't dig up the bodies?” Stacie Terreault, Greenwood, Indiana hen my lug- gage didn’t make the flighthome with me, I stormed over to the airport’s customer-service counter. “Can you describe your suitcase?” the clerk asked. “It’s a navy-blue duffel bag, 24 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 20 inches high,” I said. “It has red piping around the edges, three big stars on one side, and the words Atlanta Olympics in big letters on the other side.” “Okay,” she said. “And is there anything distinctive about your bag?” Kris Muckerheide, Kent, Weshington y brother, a self-professed wine snob, was beside himself at a recent family get-together. The reason? The five-liter carton of generic rosé our mother plopped down on the dining-room table. “Mom,” said Kirby after compos- ing himself, “you really must learn to drink outside the box.” Kathy Flodin, Hendersonville, North Carolina Ctrl+Alt+Del ... Pani Do you think wireless communication means a manual typewriter? If so, you're not alone, as these college students can attest. « “When my dad first tried to use MMMMM ... STUFFED CHEESE =S_ ABS Visors Final TAYIDERMY 8 CHEESE. Seen somewhere in Wisconsin; from Signspotting 2: More Absurd & Amusing Signs From ‘Around the World (Lonely Planet Publications) the Internet, he typed the beginning of a website address in the address bar and then asked, ‘Where's the dot-com button?” * “Our printer ran out of ink, so my mom bought a new printer.” * “Dad got an iPod Nano as a gift He thought it was a tie clip.” * “After a friend asked if he had an e-mail address, my father responded, ‘I think so. Try Frank.com.’” Susanna Wolk, incollegehumor.com 8 Your favorite new joke, funny anecdote, or crazy news story might be worth $$$. See page 66 for details. Consumer Information Reader's Digest may share information about you wth reputable companies in order for them to offer you products andcervicesofinteresttoyou. Ifyou wuld rather we not shareinformasen,pleasewritetoteadercDiget CustomerSenvice, 80. 801723, Red On, lon 51591-2623, Published monthlyby The Reader Digest Aesocton, ne, Readers Digest Re, Pensa NY. 10570 Aspecil Reader's Digest LargePrinforEasier Reading with selectdartces from Th Digests publshed by Readers Digest Largetltio, in For deals writ: Raters Digest Large Fri or Esler Reading P.O Box817), Red Oa lowa51591-77 Readers Digest, (SSN 0034-0378) (USPS86t-92), ol 174, No. 1043, March 2009.02003 The Reader's Digest Asosaton nc Alrights reserved, Urauthorzed reproduction, nany marer is prohibited, teader's Digest, The Digest andthe Pepaes logo arereisteredtrademars, vein, meet atdenen ol ThetedesDgetAsouaton he haraheparns Pinedinlsn Frodeabpote radar Nationa mange ay rie sion aa ina ea refund for copiesnot previously addressed. Your subscription will expire withthe issue identifiedabove your nameon the address label postasren: Send address changes Readers Digest, Box 7809, Red Oak, lowaSy591-0808. suasemioens: the Post Officealerts us that your magazineis undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we recehve acorrected addeest within ene year.ADVERTISEMENT (erat A Pati How | managed to lose 37 pounds in 20 days and carried on eating what | liked... ». Without any effort and without medications’ the story below of this 35 year old woman is so moving because it describes a problem that we, as women, are all too familiar with: How can we lose our excess pounds without strict diets, medications or having to deprive ourselves of the foods we love? By reading her story, so many women are going to identify with Patricia Kerr. Luckily for her, she was able to find THE new product that everyone is talking about now, If today, she decided to share her story with us, it’s because she wants to encourage all the women who have never managed {0 lose weight - or who regained the pounds they had lost - not to lose hope. Here’s why, as you are soon going to see, her experience is truly a success story. Special Correspondent: Laura Verdi All the women in my family Since all the women in my are overweight family have a tendency to be When I was 31, my | rather “robust”, I always tried boyfriend and I decided to r keep my weight unde: con- get married, I only suspect- | ol. My mother weighs more ed that I may be developing | than 175 pounds, my older sis- a weight problem when 1 | !t weighs about 160 pounds was being fitted for a wed- and they're no taller than 5 3 ding dress. It wasn’t that 1 | 0° TB wounds fave a Se rk | a er — aft model thin” but T was “well-pro- all, I was teased as a child | portioned.” But this all changed because I was chubby. | 11 months later with the birth of However, during my teens, | my son Paul. No matter how T was slim and kept my | hard Itried, it was impossible for figure, but only because I | me tolose the 40 pounds I'd put always carefully watched | 0” u'ing my pregnancy what I ate. I began to worry about what other people thought of me | was becoming increasingly depressed about my excess weight. So, before it got out of control, I decided to see a doctor. But all he could tell me was, “You need to lose weight”, as though I didn’t know that already! He recommended an intensive diet and exercise plan which took up several hours per week over several weeks, What he suggested wasn’t realis for me, Everyone at home depends on me, especially my 2 year old son. Basically, this doctor couldn't do anything for me. 1 was putting on more and more weight. What really upset me was what my family and friends must have thought of me, espe- cially my husband, He wast’ supportive at all, He would make me feel bad about myself by making such comments as “bet- ter yourself”, “do something about it!” or “react”, As I realized that our relation- ship was in jeopardy, 1 decided todo something... tried absolutely everything Discouraged, I started experi- menting with various methods —appetite suppressants, creams, diets, medications... Itwas all in vain. [ spent a fortune and had nothing to show for it. Sometimes, I managed to lose a few pounds, but as soon as 1 stopped the treatment, I quickly regained the pounds | lost and some es, even more. It was driving me nuts That's how I reached an impres- sive 174. pounds height of just 5°”, I looked like a “blimp”. 1 was desperately look- ing for a way to lose all this weight which was making my life so miserable. T wanted to try this new product that everyone was talking about T heard about this new treatment on TV and read about it in some health ADVERTISEMENT pounds) yarn at rey I) Tove with me! all over again, magazines. This treat- I had tried absolutely ment had really helped to lose we ght on their everything. I became women who were unable upset about the way 1 looked and discour- own, to finally lose their @8ed about not being excess pounds. I read about a young woman able to lose weight. LUNRETOUCHED AMATEUR whose story sounded very puewonares similar to mine. Like me, she gained a lot of weight during and afler her pregnancy. But thanks to this treatment, she managed to lose 35 pounds in only 4 weeks, Because I'd been so disap- pointed by all the weight-loss products that I tried before and which didn’t work, Twas skep- tical that this one would be any different, But, this one had a full money-back guarantee if it didn't work for me, so 1 bad nothing to lose by tying it, T called and placed an order and received ita few days later. I was really surprised, It said that the treatment had been specifically designed for women like me. I could lose weight and still eat normally. It was great! I didn’t have to go on any strict diet and T was able to carry on cooking for my family. I just couldn't believe it. It seemed too good to be true! I finally discovered a product that helped me become a slim woman!” The day after I received my package. I began my REMovy! Advanced Formula treatment (that’s the name of the product that changed my life). It was the day that my husband and I had planned (0 take our son Paul to the amusement park, Surrounded by all the delicious fast. foods and sweets I've always liked, dieting was the last thing on my mind. So, I had a bit of every- thing, French fries, pizza, ice cream, candy ~ and to finish off the day in style, we treated our- selves to a meal in a lovely restaurant by the lake. And when stepped on the scale the follow- ing morning, I had still managed to lose 2 pounds!" It was unbe- lievable. And truly motivating... 11 pounds in less than a week” 1 was surprised to see how fast 1 was losing the first few pounds. So, I followed the in- structions for my treatment precisely... It was really simple: Tonly had to let one tablet dis- solve under my tongue on an empty stomach every moming, cand to wateh my weight drop.” en, I carried on eating as nor- mal and followed my daily rou- tine.’ T literally “melted away Thad lost 11 pounds in less than a week without changing my eating habits and without any strict diet’. Strangely enough; the progress of my weight loss was very similar to that of the young woman I had read about.” She said that she had lost an average of between 9 and I pounds per week, and it was the same for me’! My husband was baffled when he saw how fast I was losing weight! After that, everything hap- pened so fast. 1 checked my weight every other day and each time, my weight had dropped again! My clothes were starting to feel loose. Imagine how I felt when I managed to fit into my old jeans again... and (please, tum over for more details.)they're back in style! I'd lost 20 pounds in 10 days.” My husband couldn't believe his eyes. He watched me eating as usual and yet the pounds kept dropping off. So, one day, I shared my “litle secret” with him and he was really impressed! When some of my friends who I hadn’t seen for a couple of weeks saw me, I was already 20 pounds slimmer. They, t00, couldn't believe it. Some of them thought that I must have gone to a weightloss clinic, Actually, 1 lost 37 pounds in jusi 20 days and a total of 54 pounds in record time — something which had never happened to me before! Tt seemed like a miracle tome" It-was my husband who was the most excited about the results, I’ as though he has fall- enin love with me all over again, He often takes me in his arms and shows me how much he loves my new body! I'm sure he’s as proud of my success as Tam, As faras I'meconcemned, | feel like a new woman with lots of vitality and a new zest for life. The other day, 1 found myself singing as T was doing the house- work, something I hadn't done in a long time! And the most fasci- nating thing is that T haven’t put on a single pound since 1 fin- ished the treatment.” My weight has stabilized at 120° pounds, which is my ideal weight.” And I can eat anything 1 like without gaining any weight. Now that I've reached my ideal weight, it’s not difficult for me to keep it.’ Once a month, 1 dissolve one REMovy! Advanced Formula under my tongue, in the morning, for 3 straight days and that’s it!’ No weight gain or loss.” And if one day I wanted to lose another few extra pounds, now I know how I can easily do it, All I'd have to do is to take ADVERTISEMENT ‘one REMovyl Advanced Formula tablet per day for a week.’ But I think that my husband wouldn’t be very pleased, though; he loves me the way Iam now. Patricia Kerr You too can lose one pound in the first 8 hours!” If you follow the simple instructions as T did, without changing your normal routine, you are going to start losing weight immediately.” You easily lose 8 to 10° pounds per week until you have reached your ideal weight. After that, you will not regain the pounds you have lost, as your weight will have stabilized.” You will keep your figure and no one will ever suspect that you were ‘once heavier. You will be proud of your slim figure and feel like anew person. You will feel more attractive and more confident. And you will no longer have those cravings ~ Enemy Number One of so many women who have become downright ob- sessed with losing weight.’ Once you are slim, a new life begins. Now, you have the chance to try, risk-fige, the product that ever one is talking about, Choose here the REMory! Ad- vanced Formula treatment which best matches your requirements. Regular: © lose up (0 10 Ibs.” Only $29 Intensive: to lose between 11 and 20 Ibs.’ Only $49 Super Intensive: to lose bet- ween 21 and 30 Ibs” Only $69 Extra-Strength: to lose between 31 and 45 pounds.’ Only $89 A $6 handling and first-class delivery fee will be added to your order. Fora risk-free wial of REMovyl Advanced Formula, order right now by calling 1-800-871-0941 toll-free (24/7) and ask forthe treat- ment that best suits your needs. Or visit www. REMovylAdrancedFormula.com/REO17ADVERTISEMENT These are the essential oils that are going to make you slim’ “Some women have already lost up to 22 pounds in one week”.” Question: How can taking a few plants and essential oils help you lose weight if you continue to eat as you usually do? ‘Answer: REMovyl Advanced Formulais the leader ‘of a new generation of weightloss products. Recent studios have shown that the combination of 13 known essential oils prevents fat from building in the booy by stimulating the body to break it down and to eliminate it on a daily basis.’ This combination of essential oils has become what may be the fastest and most efficient way to lose weight that has ever been observed with an entirely natural product! Question: Who should use this combination of plants and essential oils? ‘Answer: Any woman (or man) who suffers from serious weight problems and would like to lose 10 pounds or more, who have tried, unsuccessfully, going on diets and have never achieved any long- term results using other methods or medicines. Itis a treatment that is suitable for anyone who is not able to cut down on calories the normal way, or sulfers from a lack of willpower. Question: Does the weight come off quickly? Answer: At the beginning — yes: In fact, it drops. very quickly. It is possible to lose up to 2 pounds per day in the frst three weeks, without any effort: Question: How does it work? Answer: The treatment includes a bottle con- taining 15 tablets, offered for free, as well as 2, 4, ‘or more, bottles of 15 REMovyl Advanced Formula tablets each. All you need to do is to dissolve one tablet under your tongue every morning on an ‘empty stomach. Start using the tablets in the free sample box and carry on eating asnormal. You are going to notice that your weight will have dropped by almost one pound in as little as 8 hours.” Look at yourself in the mirror and watch your booy becoming slimmer and more beautiful each and every day. No false promises — with REMovy! ‘Advanced Formula, the results are visible, meas- urable and noticeable! All this can be achieved: WITHOUT willpower WITHOUT any stict diet WITHOUT strenuous exercises Question: What kind of essential oils are in the REMovyl Advanced Formula? Answer: The treatment consists of 13 essential oils: Wild Rosemary, Sage, Caraway, Juniper, Coriander, Sweet Basil, Fennel, Cinnamon Rose, Red Clover, Star Anise, Sweet Orange, Tasmanian Blue Eucalyptus and Black Peppermint. Each one has its own special function and works in a specit- ic way on the body. These medicinal herbs, from which the concentrated oils are extracted, have been used for centuries as natural remecies for Various disorders. Some have diuretic properties; while others affect digestion, or reduce the build- up of gas in the intestines. Question: What guarantee do | have that | can keep my ideal weight once | have lost the extra pounds? ‘Answer: As you have probably noticed, it is very easy fo gain back all the weight you may have lost through strict dieting or medications. This tablet weight-loss plan, however, is not only going to help you lose weight but it is going to ramp up your entire metabolism in a very gentle way” You don’t need to worry about gaining back the weight because the process of buming and converting calories in your body is going to function in the same way as in those who can eat what they want without ever gaining weight.” Whether you would like to lose 10, 20, 30 or even 40 pounds or more with this revolutionary weight-loss plan, you are going to definitely achieve your ideal weight, a figure you can be proud of and a new zest for le. For a risk-irag trial of the REMovyl Advanced Formula treatment, call now toll-free (24/7) 1-800- 871-0941. Your request will be treated as a priority Web orders: Visit ‘As soon as you receive your REMovyl Advanced Formula tablets, start by taking the ‘tee-trial sam- ple of 15 tablets that is going to be added to your package at absolutely no extra cost (one tablet every morning before you eat). If you do not achieve amazing results, simply send the remaining bottles back and we will refund you ‘or the total purchase price, including the shipping charges. No ques- tions asked and no conditions. Remoryl Corp. Ml Call Toll-Free 24/7 1-800-871-0941 www.REMovylAdvancedFormula.com/REO17LastLau®h WHICH WAY IS PUP? Turn the page around to see that these happy canines, from upsidedowndogs.com, aren’t Velcroed to the ceiling. Want more funny dogs? See our collection of hilarious pups—and upload your own pics—at readersdigest.com/dogs. 196 retdersWhiten while you quit. Calm your cravings and whiten your smile with new Nicorette’ Write Ice” Mint gum. The stop smoking gum with a cool minty flavor and the power to whiten teeth as you use it. Experience a brighter way to quit. wc nicaette. com. Use as Gece resis may vary Sinphrt progam iminoves chances of suscess, © 2068 GlanSmithKne Consumer Healthcare, LPDove doesn’t Feel the difference for yourself.Coming Next Issue _ What’s Wrong with Cancer Tests Screenings can detect cancer early. Sowhy do some experts say they can do more harm than good? Howto Hide Anything Nineteen ingenious ways to conceal everything from family heirlooms toa few extra pounds. Two Trapped Boys, Five Tons of Ice A family hike in the Cascade mountains turns intoa terrifying race against time. Your Next Job Advice on moving up, making more, and managing your career: part two of our special report. Home of the Brave How seven remarkable men and women found refuge— and hope—in America. The Rumor Detectives True story—or online hoax? Ask Snopes.com. ixioreVols acy Dige SeReader’s Digest Is A General Interest Magazine For People Who Are Generally More Interesting.