Lifestyles

PEOPLE’S PHARMACY: The confusing history of hormone replacement therapy

Women contemplating hormone replacement therapy to ease hot flashes, night sweats and other miseries of menopause might be feeling confused. Controversy has followed Premarin, one of the dominant brands of replacement estrogen, throughout its history of more than 80 years. Few drugs have lasted as long or seen such extreme swings in popularity. The conjugated estrogens in Premarin are made from pregnant mares’ urine. We suspect that is the origin of the brand name. Premarin grew in popularity from the post-war years through the 1960s (when “Feminine Forever” was a bestselling ...

Dear Annie: Handling career crises and work anxieties

DEAR ANNIE: I’m feeling torn between pursuing my dream and maintaining my financial stability. I have a job as an accountant making six figures, but it’s boring work — so boring that I dread getting out of bed every morning. The days go by slowly, and I find myself living for the weekend. On the other hand, I’ve had a passion for photography since I was a kid. Recently, I’ve started to do some freelance work on the side, just for fun, but the money isn’t great because I don’t have a lot of time to devote to it. I understand the importance of financial security, but I ...

Hints from Heloise: Keep neck tie intact

DEAR HELOISE: I’ve enjoyed and learned from your column for years. If you’re like me, tying a neck tie can be frustrating. When I get a tie with a knot that has the style and length I like, I’ll take it off by loosening it just enough to get it off my neck and over my head. Then I hang it up intact on a tie rack that I have on the wall. So, the next time I want to use it, it’s already tied and ready for me to put on. — Mike D., in Indiana DEAR HELOISE: Most cars come with two key fobs, and the key fobs have a button to set off an alarm on your car. As single woman living ...

Thursday evening TV

Bridge by Steve Becker

The signal is probably the single most valuable weapon available to the defense, but, like any other weapon, there is a proper time and place for its use. Take this case where a signal proved useless, partly because of a good play by declarer and partly because one defender could not obey the ...

Why eat junk on a camping trip?

Few things feel better than a long hike in the woods, exhausting yourself as you soak in the fresh air and tranquility. Then, back to camp, where you chip away at those health benefits with packaged hot dogs slapped into a white-bread bun with a slice of plasticky processed cheese food. It ...