PARENTS DENY PROBABLE CAUSE OF SON'S OBSESSIVE BEHAVIOR
DEAR ABBY:
My nephew, "Vincent," is 16 and has had problems with obsessive handwashing for years. I have
enough professional experience to strongly suspect that he suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
My brother and his wife refuse to believe their child has a problem and will not take him to get help.
My nephew's hands are chafed and raw, and his parents reprimand him for this behavior when he
really needs professional help.
His mother is the biggest problem. She nixes all issues that suggest a problem, and my brother will
not stand up to her. What can I do?
-- WORRIED AUNT IN FLORIDA

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coffe ...

 My favorite spot in San Francisco is Cafe Puccini- located in the
North Beach neighborhood of the city. North Beach has a long and
interesting history. It was originally the neighborhood for Italian immigrants in the city- and even today it has many Italian people, cafes,
and restaurants. As a kid, the famous baseball player Joe Dimaggio
lived in North Beach.
The most famous period for the neighborhood, however, was in the
late 1950s and the 1960s--when North Beach served as the center of
San Francisco's literary renaissance. In particular, North Beach
was home to the Beat writers and poets. The Beats developed a
new, free, open style of writing. They also challenged the conservative society of America in the 50s, and helped create San
Francisco's uniquely liberal culture. Many credit the Beats as the
fathers and mothers of the 1960s cultural renaissance in America.
Among the most famous Beat writers were Jack Kerouac, Allen
Ginsberg, and Gary Snyder- all of whom lived in North Beach at various times in their lives. The focal point of the movement was City
Lights Bookstore- owned by the anarchist poet Lawrence
Ferlinghetti. In the 1950s, City Lights made history when they published Allen Ginsberg's controversial poem "Howl"- which shocked
mainstream Americans at the time. Soon after, Jack Kerouac followed with his books "On The Road" and "The Dharma Bums"-- and
the Beat movement was born. Ferlinghetti is still the owner of the
bookstore, and City Lights is still a popular independent publisher.
And North Beach is still home to artists and writers, although it has
become much more expensive and now attracts wealthier residents
as well as tourists. Even though the literary scene is not what it
used to be- North Beach still has many family owned cafes. You'll
find artists, writers, poets, entrepreneurs, musicians, businesspeople, and tourists relaxing together in them.
Cafe Puccini
www.effortlessenglish.com
My favorite is Cafe Puccini, which is named after the Italian opera
composer. The cafe owner is Italian. He often plays opera music,
and every day he sits at a table in the back and chats with his friends.
They hold long animated conversations in Italian, adding to the
music of the place.
I go to that cafe often. I usually get a mocha, find a small table, and
then write articles for Effortless English. Sometimes I study a little
Spanish or Japanese. Sometimes I read. Sometimes I just watch the
people walk by the windows. The staff never seems to mind that I
stay a long time- they are always friendly.
On sunny days I sit at a table on the sidewalk, but now, during the
winter, I stay indoors.
If you get a chance to visit San Francisco, stop by Cafe Puccini. Its
located near the intersection of Columbus and Vallejo streets, in
North Beach. Be sure to bring a book by Kerouac or Ginsberg. Sit ,
enjoy the opera music, and relax for a while. No one will hurry you.
.

spot: place
immigrants: foreigners who come
to live in a (new) country
period: time
served as: was
literary: re: writing and books
renaissance: a time of artistic
improvement; a time of art (and
science)
in particular: specifically
developed: made, created
style: way of doing something
challenged: disagreed with
conservative: traditional; old;
against change
uniquely: specially; not like others
liberal: new; wanting change and
improvement; open
credit: compliment; identify
renaissance: a time of great art
(and science)
various: different, some
focal point: center point; gathering place
the movement: a change in society; a group trying to change society
anarchist: political group that is
against authority and control
made history: became famous;
did something famous
controversial: creates conflict or
disagreement
shocked: surprised and angered
mainstream: normal (society, culture)
independent publishers: a small
bookstore or publisher (not a
chain)
wealthier residents: richer people
(living in the neighborhood)
the literary scene: the writing situation (in the city)
entrepreneurs: businesspeople
who start and own a business

named after: given the same
name as someone or something
composer: someone who writes
music
hold: have; do
animated: emotional; having a lot
of movement and gestures
to mind: to be bothered; to care
the intersection: where two (or
more) streets cross each other
hurry: rush; make you leave
quickly
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 "Law never made men more just; and, by means of their respect for
it, even the well-disposed are daily made the agents of injustice. A
common and natural result of an undue respect for law is, that you
may see a file of soldiers, colonel, captain, privates and all,
marching in admirable order over hills to the wars, against their
wills, indeed, against their common sense and consciences. They
have no doubt that it is a damnable business in which they are concerned; they are all peaceably inclined. Now, what are they? Men
at all? Or small movable forts, at the service of some unscrupulous
man in power?
The mass of men serve the State thus, not as men mainly, but as
machines, with their bodies. They are the standing army. In most
cases there is no free exercise whatever of the judgment or of the
moral sense; but they put themselves on a level with wood and earth
and stones; and wooden men can perhaps be manufactured that will
serve the purpose as well. Such people command no more respect
than men of straw, or a lump of dirt. They have the same sort of
worth only as horses and dogs. Yet such as these are commonly
considered good citizens."
-- Henry David Thoreau (Civil Disobedience)
Many of the abominable problems in the world are the result of obedience. In our personal lives, in the media, we cry and moan and
blame "our leaders" for the problems of the world. We shift responsibility to them. But are they solely responsible? What about the thousands and millions who are actually carrying out their orders?
These people are the ones actually doing the terrible things that their
leaders want done. These people have abandoned their conscience
and have abandoned their responsibility.
Can such people be considered adult human beings at all; or are they
still children, or dogs-- dutifully obeying their master-parent?
Disobedience
www.effortlessenglish.com
Think of the American soldiers currently in Iraq. In the end, it is not
George Bush who is pulling the trigger or dropping the bombs or torturing the prisoners. He merely gives the orders- orders which no
particular man or woman must follow. For while they might be discharged or put in prison for refusing an order, no one will be hurt or
killed for doing so.
Isn't Thoreau correct? Aren't our true heroes the ones who disobey
unjust laws? Aren't the true heroes the ones who follow their conscience? Here in America, it is our rebels who are our historical
heroes- those who refused to support injustice: Martin Luther King,
the heroes of the American revolution, John Brown, Malcolm X, Susan
B. Anthony, Vietnam War resistors....
In the present, such people are always condemned. They are
attacked, called unpatriotic, imprisoned, and vilified. Yet history is
usually kind to such people, and harsh to the unjust. In the 1950s,
Martin Luther King was vilified as a radical. Today, he is celebrated
as a hero, while the authorities he resisted are now viewed as the
worst kind of scum.
Thoreau, and later Gandhi and Martin Luther King, all believed that
individual conscience was more just and powerful than law. All three
encouraged people to break unjust laws; and to instead have
respect for what is good, right, true, and just. Though all three men
are now dead, their message is as important today as it was during
their lifetime.
"Thoreau was a great writer, philosopher, poet, and a most practical
man, that is, he taught nothing he was not prepared to practice in
himself. He was one of the greatest and most moral men America has
produced."
---

just: fair, good, correct and fair
by means of: because of
well-disposed: people with good
thoughts (with good hearts)
agents: actors, doers
injustice: unfairness, wrongness,
badness, evil
undue: too much, not necessary
a file of: a line of
soldiers: fighters, army people
colonel, captain, privates: ranks
(levels) of people in the army
admirable: should be admired; worthy, good
against their wills: not by choice;
against what they want to do
common sense: what most think is
correct and right
conscience: feeling of what is right
and wrong; moral feeling
damnable: horrible, terrible, wrong
inclined: what someone usually
does or thinks (usually peaceful)
forts: an army building, a base
unscrupulous: without morals; without goodness
the mass of men: most men
the State: the country, the nation
standing army: permanent army
exercise: use (noun)
the judgement: ability to make decisions
the moral sense: ability to decide
what is right and wrong
manufactured: made, created
command: demand, require
straw: hay
lump: small round piece
considered: thought to be
abominable: horrible, terrible
obedience: doing what someone
else tells you to do
the media: newspaper, TV, etc...
moan: make a sad sound
blame: criticize
shift: move; change
solely: only
carrying out their orders: doing
what they say to do
abandoned: left; got rid of
dutifully obeying: doing what other
people say-- because of duty

soldiers: fighters in an army
trigger: part of a gun that you pull
(in order to shoot)
torturing: hurting (someone who
is helpless or powerless)
orders: commands
particular: individual
discharged: fired (from the army)
refusing: saying no (to an
order/command)
disobey: not do something that
you are told to do
unjust: not fair, not good, not
moral
follow their conscience: do what
you think is right/good/moral
rebels: those who fight against
authority/power
resistors: people who resist, people who don't obey
condemned: criticized, blamed,
said to be guilty, accused
unpatriotic: not loving your country, not loyal to your country
imprisoned: put in jail, put in
prison
vilified: described as a bad person, described as a terrible or evil
person
harsh: tough, not kind, not gentle
a radical: someone who fights for
big changes; someone who fights
the government
celebrated as: praised as
the authorities: the government;
those with power
scum: low class people, criminals,
bad person/people
to break unjust laws: to disobey
bad laws
lifetime: time a person lives; time
when a person is alive