THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017
FEATURES
Neighbor’s touch is disturbing
Dear Annie: I have a prob- whom you don’t want to hug. A
lem with my neighbor that I don’t similar trick might help prevent
know how to handle. We have any unwanted contact from Mr.
been neighbors for three or four Yates. You could also try standing
years. “Mr. Yates” has a seriously far away from him, keeping your
ill wife who is homebound. He arms folded against your chest,
does everything for her, in addi- offering cues that you’re not open
to contact. If all else
tion to doing all the work
DEAR
fails and you’d like to
on the property. He has
try speaking with him
been helpful to me.
ANNIE
about the issue, I would
Here’s the problem:
step away from him
He can’t ever seem to talk
when he tries to place
to me (a woman) without
a hand on your shoul-
touching me. It’s always
der and say something
on the arm or shoulder,
like, “Please don’t take
nothing inappropriate. But
offense, but I’m not a
I hate it, so I end up avoid-
Lane
touchy-feely person.”
ing him (and his wife). I Annie
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
Dear Annie: I am
think it is a habit he has
privileged to train and
formed and he doesn’t
even realize he does it. But I don’t place psychiatric service dogs
know what I can say to him to get with our military veterans who
him to stop. Can you give me a struggle with post-traumatic stress
suggestion? — Wanting to Be a disorder. Your response to “Frus-
trated,” who is annoyed that peo-
Good Neighbor
Dear Wanting: Being a good ple seem to take dogs everywhere,
neighbor does not mean being was spot on — because you
subjected to physical contact that shamed people who falsely repre-
makes you feel uncomfortable. sent their pets as service dogs and
I’m not saying that is your neigh- because you reminded the general
bor’s intention, but it’s the effect population that not all symptoms
nonetheless, and that means it’s of disabilities are visible.
Service dogs are growing as
got to stop. Some people sug-
gest feigning a sneeze or a cough a treatment option for a variety
whenever you run into a “hugger” of conditions beyond their origi-
nal use as guides for the sight-im-
paired. Service dogs can be
trained to alert hearing-impaired
individuals to certain sounds
and can calm children who have
autism. Through training, they
can detect and alert their handlers
to highs and lows in blood sugar,
impending seizure activity, irreg-
ular heart rhythms and impending
panic attacks and road rage.
Please encourage your readers
to visit the government website
dedicated to the Americans With
Disabilities Act, specifically the
page about service animals. The
site, ADA.gov, features informa-
tive Q&As that clearly explain the
rights and obligations of service
dog teams and of the public enti-
ties those teams wish to access.
Please encourage people who
are interested to talk with their
government representatives and
support legislation that would
make it a crime to falsely rep-
resent a personal pet as a ser-
vice dog. This could give mer-
chants and local law enforcement
a means to prevent people from
misrepresenting their pets as ser-
vice dogs. — Dog Trainer
Dear Dog Trainer: Thank
you for your important work
training and placing service dogs.
5A
TOMORROW’S HOROSCOPE
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). This week fea-
tures the cosmic equivalent of an invitation to
a fancy dinner in which you’ll be around new
people you’d be keen to impress. Your choice
of attire will be equally important to the topics
you pull out of your conversational hat.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The words that
help you reason your way through a problem
will mean nothing to your emotional brain,
which speaks a different language. To get your
whole mind on board, engage through your
senses.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). It’s hard to “hate
the sin and love the sinner,” when both the “sin”
and the “sinner” happen to be forwarding your
interests. Take a look at what you might be
complicit in by simply wanting what you want.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). People will
often go to greater lengths to avoid boredom
than they will to avoid pain. You can use this
fact to your advantage and get good results by
applying your knack for entertaining.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The reckoning
your soul longs for may be with someone from
long ago. That moment has passed, and it will
be impossible to get back to it, but there’s still a
way to make things right going forward.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It will take
more than hard work to win at this game.
Momentum will help. It’s a matter of reducing
friction and aligning yourself with maximum
congruence; get all the elements aligned in the
same direction.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). While the wel-
fare of others is a worthy investment, don’t give
your resources out of a sense of guilt or obli-
gation. Anyone who makes you feel like you’re
indebted is incorrect and possibly conning you.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). It may feel as though
you are toning down something about yourself
to avoid challenging, upsetting or offending
people around you. It’s true that what you
really want will cause waves, but it’s nothing
you can’t handle.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). The universe will
be persistent with you. What starts out as a
suggestion, if not taken, will later be presented
to you as a challenge. If you still do not take on
the idea, it will present as more of a demand.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). If your leisure time
doesn’t provide the stress release you need
and your work keeps ramping up the tension,
perhaps both need a serious look. Don’t pas-
sively live out the default version of your life.
Go for the juice.
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
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). More than
any other time in history, people have come
to expect to be entertained at every juncture.
Finding reasons to be engaged (instead of
waiting for the obvious captivation cues) is a
sign of special intelligence.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). In those times
when your life feels completely filled up and
yet oddly unfulfilling, identify the activities that
are the equivalent of eating junk food — i.e.,
quantity rich and nutrient poor.
TOMORROW’S BIRTHDAY (June 28). It may
seem like the consequences of one direction
or the other will alter life drastically. Don’t let
this paralyze you. The reality is that you’ll come
out smiling either way. Lighten up and choose.
Companionship is rich, though September
calls for a solo mission. Professional break-
throughs happen in January and June. Gemini
and Scorpio adore you. Your lucky numbers
are: 9, 20, 4, 44 and 15.