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David, First of all, a warm welcome to our group! I want to briefly address the AARP article to clarify (in my humble opinion) why you have been seeing the various negative responses from the list. Firstly, with all due respect for Mr. Mano, I don't beleive that anyone really cares as to the manner in which this person chooses to deal with his disease on a personal level. If "Bert" makes his "condition" warm and fuzzy for him........I say then.......all the more power......! Where I would take exception (as I believe the others do too) is when a publication such as Modern Maturity with it's HUGE circulation, prints an article that in essence.......makes light of what is otherwise, a potentially devastating disease. For decades now, Parkinson's has come up on the "extreme" short end of the stick in aggregate public funding for research etc. The last several years have brought Parkinson's Disease to a much higher degree of public awareness due to the efforts of many.......but certainly not by being "soft and fuzzy". As I see things, it is simply counterproductive to publish an article with such a "benign" message as to what Parkinson's Disease represents for the millions who suffer its realities. Obviously, the editor of Modern Maturity does not suffer with this disease nor is he/she a caregiver for a PWP. If I should be mistaken, I hereby go on record as questioning his/her sensitivity and/or emotional state! To increase public research funding, there must be increased awareness of what this disease represents to us.......not the "smiley faces" we pass around to each other for our personal well being! The difference is what the public perception is of Parkinson's Disease. Will our mandate for a cure be furthered by sprinkling "rose pedals" on the path for the politicians to step on?........My dog would gladly provide a few "twisties" that I would rather leave on their political path. Yes, sometimes the truth stinks but it will utimately make us free........a cure! Aloha to all, Jay Henkelman 49/39/30 -----Original Message----- From: David Fein <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: Saturday, March 06, 1999 11:02 AM Subject: bert/aarp >im new and glad to be a part of the group.cant figure out why everybody is >so"bent out of shape" about article...forgive the pun....its his opinion >about how he wants to relate to his "condition". reminder..peole have heart >attacks and call it a heart condition...many people refer to themselves here >as PARKIES...not m e but its ok...talk about cute...to each their >own..again glad to be here.