FEATURES
6A
Tomorrow’s horoscope
Can’t girlfriend stop yakking?
Dear Annie: I am a healthy,
active, 68-year-old divorced man,
still employed and productive.
About a year ago, I met “Caro-
line,” a pleasant, generous, com-
patible woman, and have since
enjoyed her company on a regular
basis. We spent Christmas together
in Europe. It was lovely.
Unfortunately, there is one
problem that drives me crazy:
Caroline is a compulsive talker. It
doesn’t matter if we’re in a movie
theater, we’re watching a TV show
or I’m trying to read the newspa-
per. She just starts yakking in my
ear. I try to ignore it, but she goes
right on. She doesn’t get the hint
that I’m not interested in chatting
at that precise moment.
How do I tell her nicely to shut
up for a while? — Patient But
Tired
Dear Patient: Might Caroline
have a hearing problem? Is she in-
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all the silences between you? The
next time she does this, you should
gently hold her hand and say, “Car-
oline, it would be nice for us to
watch this show together. Can we
talk when it’s over?” If she persists,
you might ask her to see her doctor
to have her hearing checked. Lat-
er, when you have some peaceful
Annie’s
Mailbox
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
Kathy Mitchell
and
Marcy Sugar
time together, tell her how much
you enjoy just spending quiet time
in her company and how nice it
is that the silence is comfortable.
This will help reinforce the behav-
ior you want. But make sure to pay
attention to her when you are, in
fact, having a conversation. Some
people chatter endlessly because
they feel that their words are being
ignored.
Dear Annie: You published
that silly cost of the 12 days of
Christmas and once again, eight
maids a milking were being paid
$58 — minimum wage for the past
three years.
This is so wrong! I milked cows
on a dairy farm for 15 years, and
let me tell you, it is a skilled oc-
cupation. I went to milking school.
And it pays more than minimum
wage. I was paid $12 when the
federal minimum wage was $5.60.
And what about the cost of those
cows? Why isn’t that included? A
dairy cow costs at least $1,500, so
eight of them — one for each maid
— would be $12,000. However,
if the gift-giver bought the cows,
he would have to hire at least one
milkmaid full time. This should be
corrected. — Anne in Pennsylva-
nia
Dear Anne: We truly enjoyed
your letter. We rarely hear from
someone who worked as a milk-
maid. And of course, how much
the milkmaids receive each day
would depend on how many hours
they worked. Also, nothing in the
song indicates that the gift-giver
included cows. Only the maids-a-
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published in 1780, we assume the
recipient already had cows.
7KH ¿JXUHV ZH SULQWHG FDPH
from the PNC Bank (originally the
Provident National Bank in Phila-
delphia), which calculates maids-
a-milking as unskilled labor, and
thus they are paid minimum wage.
We will be happy to pass along
your claim that they are skilled la-
bor and therefore entitled to more
money.
We’re still chuckling. Thank
you so much for writing. You
made our day.
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Don’t ask for
what you want. Get in there and politely in-
form the gatekeeper that you already have
what you want, and that you’re available and
ready for more of it.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). There are
undeniable benefits to being on-trend, de-
pending on whose trend it happens to be.
Something to keep in mind: If you create the
culture, you don’t have to worry about staying
ahead of it.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’ve been
an idealist; you’ve been a cynic. And today
you’ll float around the vast middle ground
between the two extremes. That’s where you
meet friends who think at your level. Such a
treasure!
CANCER (June 22-July 22). When you
were small you had to be in a familiar place to
feel completely safe. Now you’ve grown into
your “crab” essence. You’re safe because of
who you are, not because of where you are.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The moon favors
your every move; this is your day, your night,
your extended-play dance in the spotlight.
Savor the creative outlet. When your turn
is over, the creativity will still be inside you,
waiting for the next showcase.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Unless you’re
very aware of your surroundings and how
others are feeling, you may not realize what’s
at stake in a situation. Challenge yourself to
be more observant. What you’ll note is that
everyday life takes courage.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Education is
expensive, especially the unstructured, infor-
mal education you get from hanging out with
people in glamorous settings. Be frugal now
so that you’ll be able to weather the storm
FRANK AND ERNEST
BLONDIE
THATABABY
SALLY FORTH
PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN
B.C.
LOLA
DILBERT
SIX CHIX
BIZARRO
MUTTS
NON SEQUITUR
BABY BLUES
WIZARD OF ID
ZITS
ROSE IS ROSE
that is coming later.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Laughter is
one of your favorite love notes. It means that
someone is sharing in your joy of life, as well
as your intellect, point of view and general
experience. You’ll connect in giggles and
love.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). It’s a
day to pay the piper, and he’s not offering a
layaway plan or installment options, either.
Regardless of how you choose to handle it,
by the end of the day you’ll be square.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Of course
there are no winners in conversation. How-
ever, if there were winners, the prize would
go to the one who chooses the best topic.
You’ve a knack for knowing which one will
bring the most interest and fun.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You thrill to
the unpredictable turns of this rollercoaster
day. The anticipation will be sweet — may-
be even sweeter than the fast plunge that
comes afterward.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Indulge your
whims, or they will turn against you, pouting
and dragging your mood through the mud.
Your instinct to play needs expression. With
no specific agenda, activities take you where
you need to be.
FRIDAY’S BIRTHDAY (Jan. 22). Febru-
ary brings a delightful someone to share the
minutiae with. Family has a strong bearing
on where you’ll live and on professional con-
cerns, too. You’ll bank money from a savvy
sale in March. Networking and travel come
in May. The cause that’s near to your heart
in June will lead you to others as passionate
as you. Aries and Virgo adore you. Your lucky
numbers are: 9, 40, 2, 11 and 17.