FEATURES
8A
Family gives a good ibbing
Dear Annie: Is lying something
that is just more acceptable these
days, or is it particular to my family?
I try to be an honest person. I am
beginning to feel as though that is a
fault in my character. I don’t “mis-re-
call” events of the past. I don’t make
up someone else’s words or attitudes
to make my narrative more inter-
esting to my listener. I don’t invent
some past wrongdoing to excuse my
behavior. I think it is a grave sin to
outright tell a lie about someone. But
I have family members who do all of
the above.
Is there a recessive gene in my
family? Or do I just see this because
they ARE family? Sometimes I think
no one values honesty anymore or
puts importance on accuracy when
talking. At times, I have had to con-
front family members about what
they have said. I am then called
self-righteous. Other times, I have
just curtailed contact to avoid hearing
the tales they tell. They seem to feel
that if you can’t prove what they say
to be a lie, then it is as good as truth.
OK, so everyone has told a white lie
or perhaps lied if backed into a cor-
ner, but this seems to be beyond that.
Is lying more acceptable in today’s
culture? Am I an “honesty freak”
or self-righteous? — Still Believing
Honesty Is the Best Policy
Dear Annie
By
Annie
Lane
Creators
Syndicate
Inc.
Dear Still Believing: Freak? No.
Self-righteous? Well...
I won’t deny you your props for
always telling the truth and encourag-
ing others to do so. Honesty is a vir-
tue. But so are patience and humility.
Look, I don’t know exactly what
your family members are lying about.
If your aunt exaggerates the num-
ber of hours her light was delayed
because she wants sympathy, let her
have her pity party. Sometimes peo-
ple take artistic license to make their
anecdotes into more dramatic stories,
and that’s ine (as long as it’s not a lie
that could end up hurting someone).
The fact is that everybody has
faults, and keeping tally of other peo-
ple’s transgressions doesn’t make
you any happier or them any better.
It just makes you more judgmental.
Dear Annie: Perhaps this is an
odd letter to send to you, but you have
such a huge readership that I am hop-
ing I can get an answer to my query.
I am extremely allergic to shell-
ish (a very common allergy) and
was surprised to ind out restaurants
fry shellish, chicken, potatoes, etc.,
in the same oil. Can this create a dan-
gerous situation for those allergic to
shellish? Thanks for your help. —
Hoping Not to Be “Shell-Shocked”
Dear Shell-Shocked: It’s danger-
ous for those with allergies to con-
sume food cooked in the same oil as
shellish. The Food Allergy Research
& Education organization (http://
www.safefare.org) offers a template
to create a chef card — a wallet-sized
breakdown of your allergies you can
present to servers to make every-
one’s life easier (and you safer) when
you’re eating out. FARE also offers a
searchable database of allergy-aware
restaurants. Be careful of sitting near
kitchens in restaurants, too, as shell-
ish protein can become airborne in
the steam released during cooking.
Because allergic reactions to
shellish often constrict breathing, it’s
advised that you carry an epinephrine
auto-injector at all times.
People who aren’t sure whether
they have food allergies should visit
an allergist. About 60 percent of peo-
ple who are allergic to shellish expe-
rience their irst reactions as adults.
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2016
Tomorrow’s horoscope
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Today will
prompt introspection. With this will come
realizations about what you see in others.
To recognize the best and worst qualities in
your loved ones and accept both is powerful
stuff.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). There’s a dif-
ference between connecting with a person
out of habit and connecting with a person out
of driving need. The second way is charged
with exciting energy, tangible to both parties.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). While not ex-
actly monumental, you’ve thought about to-
day’s events and they matter to you. You feel
it, the others feel it: You’re ready for anything
and everything that’s about to unfold.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). When you
don’t know a word, you make guesses about
its definition based on the context of the
words around it. You’ll do the same thing in
regard to unknown people today, judging
them by the company they keep.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Avoid working too
hard to smooth over the current situation at
the expense of your having pleasant future.
You’re in danger of obligating yourself to do
what you will neither enjoy nor benefit from.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You’ll work
harder than anyone when the plan is some-
thing you can see coming to fruition. You
need a coach to help you come up with this
solid plan — someone who’s been there and
is good at showing the way.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Unsure about
your next move, your sense of duty demands
that you tend to the pressing business before
you regardless. In a sense, worry, trepidation
or even rumination is a luxury at this point.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). When you
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
don’t get the reply you want to hear it can
be frustrating, disheartening or inspiring, de-
pending on your attitude. The prevalent sen-
timent welling up in you now sounds some-
thing like, “Fine, I’ll do it myself!”
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). In the
social media blur, envy is par for the course.
The funny, talented and glamorous people
you know sometimes get on your nerves for
the exact same reasons you admire and love
them.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Stagnant
waters breed disease. The algae, the bugs,
the stench! It’s the same with situations that
are too peaceful: They begin to rot. Don’t let
this happen. Stir it, change it, move it.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). It may feel
like someone is pushing and pulling you
along. It’s a direction you want to go, and yet
if you’re not in charge of getting there, you’ll
resist every inch of the way — rightly so. You
need to get there on your own volition.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). The quick fix,
the fast fame, the instant buzz: It’s all appeal-
ing to you now. Just because it’s easy and
attractive doesn’t make it wrong, but it does
make it worthy of skepticism. What does the
Virgo in your life think?
WEDNESDAY’S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 10).
What’s old will change you. You’ll be touched
by curious legends, find a muse in dead
poets and explore the magic of ancient
wisdom. You’ll become richer as you create
through the end of the year. Past support of
friends will swing back around in December.
The sweetness that starts 2017 will grow as
you focus on it. Pisces and Virgo adore you.
Your lucky numbers are: 2, 24, 31, 17 and
40.