Costco Connection - December 2011

Debate goes on

In response to the November Debate, “Should the mortgage interest deduction be phased out?”

YES. The tax code caters to too many special interests. The end result is that the market adjusts and we have higher housing costs.

Randy Soderholm
Reston, Virginia

NO. I think it’s important to keep the cost of home buying down. If [the MID] is removed, it will make it much more difficult to purchase a home and maintain it.

Karl White
Austin, Texas

Member comments

Wrong type of diabetes

The lifestyle changes the author refers to in the article [“Diabetes-proof your life,” November 2011] can make vast improvements in the health of people with Type 2 diabetes.

But they are not sufficient to address Type 1 diabetes (formerly called “Juvenile Diabetes;” www.jdrf.org), a serious autoimmune disease that affects as many as 3 million Americans of all ages. In Type 1 diabetes, the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. It cannot be prevented by lifestyle changes, and cannot be treated without medication. There is not yet a cure.

Susan Porjes
Mililani, Hawaii

Dork redemption

I have to commend Rachel Renee Russell for being able to fulfill her writing dream [“Dork Diaries,” November 2011]. I was a dork in school but I also wrote a lot, mostly poetry and short stories. My teachers loved what I submitted and recently I ran across a notebook full of my treasured writings.

Like Rachel, in college my freshman
English teacher seemed to hate everything I
wrote. Unfortunately it utterly discouraged
me and the inspiration I used to feel left me. It
would be many years before I wrote anything
again. Eventually I got the courage to enter a
contest with a poem and a story; I won both
categories!

Natural beauty

How refreshing and real to see Caroline Kennedy’s face—without the false, plastic look of Botox, no surgical enhancement and free of the dreadful airbrush—on the cover of The Costco Connection [November 2011]. It’s so nice to see a woman secure enough to show her true beauty. Of course, she’s beautiful. Look at her parents!

Tracy Simmons
Nashville, Tennessee

Recipe heaven

I just had to respond to the recent November issue. I loved all the recipes. Besides giving me new ways to cook old favorites, it gave me ideas for my holiday cooking. I can’t wait to try the Holiday Peanut Butter Cutouts [page 34] with my granddaughters. The Green Beans with Orange Essence and Toasted Pecans [page 32] sounds like a way to “fancy up” the tried and true standard green bean recipe, but not overly complicated.

Jan Tyger
Camas, Washington

Cruisetouring

My husband and I just returned from a cruisetour to Alaska, so when I opened the latest Costco Connection and saw the article about cruisetours [“Don’t just cruise, cruisetour!” October 2011], I had to smile.

The cruisetour materialized into a wonderful trip. Without using a cruisetour, we wouldn’t have been able to get to know Alaska as a whole. It provided a glimpse of possibilities and a picture of a future vacation. I highly recommend the cruisetour followed by independent travel.

Dita Baranek
New Castle, Colorado

Have something to say? Readers are encouraged to submit letters to our editors on any topic or issue covered in The Connection. Please include your full name and phone number or address. Send an email to dialogue@ costco.com; or write to: Dialogue, The Costco Connection, P.O. Box 34088, Seattle, WA 98124-1088; or fax to (425) 313-6718. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for publication.

; DIALOGUEletters

Availability of
products advertised
in The Connection

ALL PRODUCTS advertised are carried at Costco warehouses unless otherwise noted; however, products may not be available in all warehouse locations.

■ Products are scheduled to be available during The Connection’s month of publication and are noted as in warehouse “early in month” (1st to 10th), “mid-month” (11th to 21st) or “late in month” (22nd to 31st).

■ All ads indicate whether a product is available in the warehouse, on Costco.com or both.

■ Prices are usually not listed in the advertising because they have not been finalized at the time of printing and may vary from one part of the country to another due to shipping costs. We hope that members know to check Costco first when comparison shopping.

■ To keep prices low, Costco does not offer a telephone service allowing members to call in for prices or product availability.

■ Shop early in the month for best selection on seasonal items.

■ Costco.com carries few of the products available at the warehouses, but offers 3,500 additional items, including line extensions and supplemental products.

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