FEATURES
6A
Their bromance is over
Dear Annie: I need advice on
how to sever a guy friendship that
has become increasingly dificult.
We irst met on the golf course and
played several rounds together.
Both of us enjoyed playing and
talking about the game of golf.
But it soon became appar-
ent that he has very few friends
because of his attention-seek-
ing, self-absorbed personality.
He calls me on a regular basis,
sometimes to discuss golf on TV
and sometimes to talk about his
various health issues, real and
imagined.
Now that he’s given up playing
golf, we have very little in com-
mon. He spouts outrageous opin-
ions on health topics, women, ra-
cial issues and politics. He is an
unabashed bigot. He obviously
needs mental health counseling
for low self-esteem issues. But
that would be an impossibly hard
sell. Is there any way that I could
gently ease myself away from this
well-intended but failed friend-
ship? — Teed Off
Dear Teed: Your empathy is
commendable, but you can’t save
this man from himself. The next
time he asks you to do something
together, simply say, “No, thanks.”
It may feel strange at irst, but you
Dear Annie
By
Annie
Lane
Creators
Syndicate
Inc.
don’t owe him any more explana-
tion than that. You are not respon-
sible for his emotions.
Dear Annie: My husband
and I have a delightful 9-year-
old grandson. He is a kind, car-
ing, intelligent child. His parents
and elders have taught him to re-
spect everyone and to stand up for
himself and others when the oc-
casion occurs. I love him beyond
words. My husband had always
had a good relationship with him
until recently.
A few years ago, my grandson
made the decision to stop cutting
his hair. His hair now reaches
halfway down his back. My hus-
band hates it. He continually tries
to convince both my grandson and
his father (our son) that the hair
should be cut and he should get a
“boy” haircut. Because he hasn’t
been able to make this happen, he
has started to insult and bully both
my son and my grandson.
This bafles me because as a
teenager, my husband had long
hair. I’ve tried discussing it with
my husband, but he can’t seem to
see our grandson as anything but
a walking, talking head of hair. It
has gotten so bad that my son has
suggested that we limit our time
with them.
Could you suggest an approach
that will help my husband see his
grandchild for what he is instead
of focusing on his looks? — Sad
Grandma
Dear Grandma: Your hus-
band needs to cut it out. Whether
it’s coming from a kid at school
or a grandparent, bullying is never
OK.
Press the question of why it
bothers him so much that your
grandson has long hair. Ask him
whether he can remember when
he grew his hair out as a younger
person, and then ask why he did it
and how it made him feel if adults
ever gave him a hard time about it.
What matters most is that your
grandson is healthy and that you
have a relationship with him —
something that won’t exist if he
keeps this up.
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2016
Tomorrow’s horoscope
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). You’ve had long
enough to sort this out on your own. The bottom
line is that you’ll work faster and smarter with
a worthy partner. All indications point to joining
forces.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Your energy
makes strangers feel comfortable, which is why
you’ll have some unexpected conversations to-
day in which you learn valuable information that
will guide a future endeavor.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You can roam the
world without buying a plane ticket, travel wher-
ever you need to be without moving a muscle.
By living fully in the moment you close the ex-
panse. Distance is no longer far.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). You would give
advice if you thought they would follow it, or even
listen to it, for that matter. Your way would most
certainly work. In fact, you could apply it to an-
other area in your life right now and get instant
results.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Willpower and
self-control require energy — a lot of energy,
and a type of energy you’ve only a finite amount
of at the start of each day. You can avoid taxing
this supply by taking yourself out of temptation’s
way.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You feel, in a
sense, that you’re training another person to
be in a relationship with you. At the end of this
day, be sure to reflect back on what has trans-
pired and really ask yourself, “Who was training
whom?”
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Do not lament the
impermanence of beauty. But for its ephemeral
qualities, beauty would not exist at all. Grasp-
ing won’t keep it from slipping away, but there
is always a new bud of loveliness waiting to be
discovered.
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
> SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You’re able
to attach to loved ones with a super-glue bond.
If you’ve ever had such a bond on your own
fingers, you know to seek the correct chemical
agent (or emotional process, as it were) for loos-
ening it before pulling apart.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Artistic ex-
pression is a stress reliever. Unlike other activi-
ties like team sports and social clubs, account-
ability to your art isn’t necessarily built into the
deal. Make the effort to create artistic habits and
systems.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You’re just
not impressed by mediocre efforts to snag your
attention. You keep wondering: (SET ITAL) Do I
really have time for this? (END ITAL) There’s the
potential to be extremely charming even as you
turn someone down.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). When you
have a lot of friends, it’s inevitable that some of
them are going to be the type who take more
than they give. It will balance out, so don’t con-
cern yourself too much now, but don’t ignore the
signals, either.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). This is a mental
game you’re playing. An equal dose of challenge
and rest will keep your intellect keen. The chal-
lenge will come from handling mundane activi-
ties with great style and grace.
SATURDAY’S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 13). Stand
up for yourself on the little things this year, be-
cause life is full of little things that add up to big
things. Examine your close personal relation-
ships with an eye to the future and who you
want to be. Regardless of your age, you’re still
developing and you need to be nurtured. Tre-
mendous luck comes in October. Sagittarius
and Scorpio adore you. Your lucky numbers are:
30, 22, 1, 15 and 8.