6A
FEATURES
Daughter is being bullied
Dear Annie: My daughter, an
Should I speak to the girls them-
eighth-grader, had always enjoyed selves (individually) in a noncon-
going to school until recently. She frontational way about why they
has many friends and has always are doing this? Do you have any
received straight A’s. My wife and suggestions on how to handle this
I have heard from some of her situation? — Desperate Dad
Dear Desperate Dad: Your
friends’ parents that she is being
daughter needs help, but
bullied by two of the pop-
DEAR
only in a way that comes
ular girls, both online and
from someone else. Have
with gossip behind her
ANNIE
you talked to her teachers
back. We have no evidence
or school administrators?
of the online bullying, as
Most schools are deter-
it has been erased. My
mined to prevent bullying.
daughter confirms the bul-
The adults need to be sen-
lying and says one of the
sitive of the need to keep
girls even gets in her face
you and your daughter out
at school, flips her off and
Annie Lane
of it so it doesn’t look as
calls her names.
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
if your daughter came cry-
She doesn’t want us to
ing to Daddy to fight her
get involved, because she
thinks that would make it even battles. At the same time, encour-
worse, so she goes about her busi- age the school administrators to
ness, smiles and attempts to be cor- talk to your daughter’s friends and
dial with the girls. I see these two their parents to find out the facts
often at sporting events, and we so they can confront the bullies to
have spoken to the mother of one make sure they stop. If they don’t,
of them before, so I am considering you might consider finding a new
speaking to her about it despite my school. There are too many sto-
daughter’s wishes. Their fathers are ries involving teenage bullying that
out of the picture; one is in jail. And have tragic endings. Your aware-
neither mother seems to have much ness and sensitivity are extraor-
control or the ability to enforce dis- dinary and might well save your
cipline, so I don’t know whether daughter from something serious.
Dear Annie: My wife and
my discussion would make a
I were discussing a reply we
difference.
have noticed from young adults
recently. When we are waited on
in stores, restaurants and the like,
these young people respond to our
“thank you” with “no problem.”
After many years of using and
hearing “you’re welcome” as the
appropriate response, this answer
— indicating that we are being
done a favor — is a bit grating.
Granted, this is not an earth-shak-
ing event, but nonetheless we both
find it less than appropriate.
Could you give us your thoughts
on this linguistic change? — Out of
Touch
Dear Out of Touch: This is
a generational thing. Whereas
baby boomers say “you’re wel-
come,” millennials say “no prob-
lem.” They mean the same thing.
As someone who grew up hearing
“you’re welcome,” you find it grat-
ing when someone says “no prob-
lem” because you interpret it to
mean that the person thinks he or
she has done you a favor. But that
is almost certainly not what the per-
son means. Ask any young person.
When young people say “no prob-
lem,” they are really saying, “It’s
nothing. No need to thank me. I
was happy to serve you.” If you
interpret it that way, you’ll feel a lot
better about it.
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017
TOMORROW’S HOROSCOPE
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Ailments of the
soul require the healing balm of faith. As it
is with all balms, the healing isn’t really in
the ointment. The balm creates a condi-
tion in which the body can put itself back
together.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Good news
is fun to deliver. You’ll be tempted to leave
the bad news for someone else to tell, or
maybe if you ignore it, it will somehow go
away. Hey, it’s actually worked before.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Being good
can be hard. Draining. It is possible that you
actually feel weary from constantly doing
the right thing. Maybe there’s such a thing
as being too good. Anyway, you don’t need
to do wrong. Rest and do nothing instead.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Your en-
couragement will boost the morale of your
group. Your role as cheerleader is crucial,
because all those little extra things you do
— the efforts you make that you don’t have
to make — create cohesion. You’re the glue.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). There’s a powerful,
driving beat behind your love — a rhythm
that moves everything forward. Just be
careful not to overpower anyone with your
energy, because that would be counterpro-
ductive to your desire.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Expectations
are so tricky. Often people really will rise to
the guidelines that expectations impose.
But right now, you’ll be pleasantly surprised
by what occurs when you loosen up in your
expectations of a loved one.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). The technology
will fail, glitch and even seem to mock you
today, but this is all a test of your patience,
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
and ultimately very easily solved. These
issues make you extra appreciative of the
devices that serve you daily.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Your deft han-
dling of a delicate matter will earn you the
trust and respect of the kind of intelligent,
sensitive people who recognize the value of
social skills such as yours.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’ve
come to the bridge. As you make your way
across, appreciate all that went into building
this shortcut that joins all the places you
want to go. This appreciation may keep you
from burning the bridge later.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The im-
possibilities may be, upon second thought,
quite possible after all. In fact, there’s a
whole range of things that might occur were
any one of the elements involved to be
changed or subtracted.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Sit quietly,
processing your thoughts until you feel that
you can accept what’s going on in your life.
You might not get to that point, but you will
make progress. Anyway, there is no greater
success than coming to terms with now.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). People who
are just trying to help often don’t know
how best to do it. Friends might overstep
boundaries. Your tact will go a long way. If
there’s a choice between taking issue with
something and letting it go, do the latter.
TOMORROW’S BIRTHDAY (Oct. 27).
You’ve the savvy to turn a small amount
into a hefty sum. This isn’t about gambling;
it’s about intelligent investing. Sagittarius
and Capricorn adore you. Your lucky num-
bers are: 20, 4, 11, 13 and 9.