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Getting rid of a stubborn case of ‘jock itch’

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 74-year-old male, and for the past two years, I have been unable to rid myself of a stubborn case of jock itch. I have tried all of the over-the-counter ointments, powders, and antifungal and antibacterial soaps without success. My dermatologist prescribed econazole nitrate cream 1%, which keeps it from getting worse but does not rid me of the problem. Do you have any other recommendations on how to treat this? — I.F. ANSWER: The first concern is whether the diagnosis is correct. Many people are able to recognize the typical symptoms of tinea cruris, aka the ...

When grocery lists meet rocket ships

Columns

Dear Annie: I recently introduced my 62-year-old husband to emojis, and now I fear I’ve made a huge mistake. Every text I receive — whether it’s “Pick up milk” or “Your sister called” — is followed by a winking face, a heart and, inexplicably, a rocket ship. He signs grocery lists with smiley faces. He even sent our plumber three flame emojis. I’ve gently suggested that not every situation requires digital fireworks, but he says the emojis “make every message more fun.” Must I accept a future filled with cartoon faces, or is there a tactful way to dial it down? ...

Pennsylvania needs to do more to deliver justice for children

Columns

As a legislator fighting to improve conditions for children, I’ve invited Bree Hood, an individual who has directly experienced harm within the juvenile legal system, to join me as we recognize the importance of protecting children in residential facilities. We are partnering in this advocacy because I believe the lived experiences of young people and their families have given them a unique perspective. It is past time to elevate their voices as we work to improve our laws that protect young people across the Commonwealth. Our current state regulations simply do not adequately ...

Too neighborly for my own good

Columns

Dear Annie: My neighbor has taken “borrowing a cup of sugar” to ridiculous levels. In the past six months, she’s borrowed my ladder, my hedge clippers, two baking pans and, most recently, my patio chairs for her daughter’s graduation party. She always promises to return things “tomorrow,” but I usually have to go ask, and sometimes they come back a little worse for wear. She’s perfectly pleasant, and we have to live next to each other, but I’m starting to feel like the neighborhood rental shop. How do I put a stop to this without seeming totally unreasonable and rude? ...

The War

Letters to the editor

Kathryn V. McFate Loganton Here we go again with the President’s policies and big lies. He was going to decide who would be Iran’s leader. What a lie. They hate our guts and they wouldn’t appoint anybody as their leader that anyone in our country suggests. We are paying the price for Trump’s lies and actions. We pay at the grocery store and the gas pump. We pay with the denial of people’s rights to hospitalization and the fear and mistrust that he has brought on our country. We pay when corporate America raises our car insurance. But the people who pay the most are those ...

RADAR need is greatly exaggerated

Letters to the editor

Tom McCarey Berwyn I also sent this letter to Bellefonte Councilwoman Barbara Dann: It is likely that you get your RADAR information from actors directly in RADAR’s revenue stream: government, police, courts and auto insurers. Their information is anecdotal, urban legend and misinformation. Their goal is to give RADAR to municipal police to raise revenue. They should be disqualified because of the financial conflict of interest. Their premise is that there is a “speeding” crisis. Not true. There is a crisis, but it is a crisis of highway engineering malpractice. The Federal ...