THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018
FEATURES
TOMORROW’S HOROSCOPE
Should I rebuild this friendship?
Dear Annie: My father was Or is it kinder to leave her to her
diagnosed with cancer a year own perception of our relation-
ago. I told a close childhood ship? — Less Invested
Dear Less Invested: Don’t
friend. She responded, “I don’t
know if I can deal with that.” put any stock in this woman. You
Then she didn’t speak to me for told her your father had cancer,
six months. This was hurtful — and her response was, “I don’t
know if I can deal with
as I had recently spent
DEAR
that.” That is not a best
many weekends travel-
ing (I live out of town)
friend; that is not even
ANNIE
and hundreds of dollars
a mediocre friend. I
as her maid of honor,
applaud your desire to
supported her emotion-
be upfront; however, in
ally through the stress
this case, such a conver-
sation would only give
of wedding prep, and
her a chance to offer
helped her move — but
excuses. Her behav-
I didn’t have the emo-
Lane
ior last year told you all
tional capacity at the Annie
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
you need to know. Keep
time to try to rebuild the
your distance, and spend
friendship.
Now that a year has passed, your time with people who truly
we have been occasionally value it.
spending time together again,
Dear Annie: One of my big-
though we avoid serious con- gest pet peeves is when you are
versation. She introduces me in a parking lot and you kindly
as her “best friend.” Recently, I stop and let people go in front of
accidentally referred to some- you and they don’t think to thank
one else as my best friend, and you by waving. Most people
she took offense. I don’t want to seem to just expect it! I always
lose an old friendship, but I can’t thank with a wave and feel oth-
imagine being more than casual ers should, too. What say you?
friends. How can I tactfully tell — Jan
Dear Jan: I think they should
her that she is far from my best
friend and that I’m uncomfort- wave. But if they don’t, just pre-
able with her possessiveness? tend they did — give yourself a
little wave of acknowledgment,
if that helps — and then move on
with your day.
Dear Annie: This is in
response to the letter from “News
Junkie,” who found himself con-
stantly watching or reading the
news and was feeling exhausted.
As a therapist, I wonder what’s
driving this person to constantly
know what’s happening on the
political scene. One reason that
people go overboard on the news
is that they’re unconsciously
hoping to decrease their anxiety
by knowing more. However, par-
adoxically, this behavior usually
backfires and increases anxiety.
Another reason is that they feel
pressure to be up-to-date when
there are discussions of politics,
which happens more often than
it used to. This group of people
may be afraid of not appearing
politically savvy or fear being left
out of conversations. — LCSW
Dear LCSW: I’m always
grateful for a clinician’s take on
a letter. You raise some great
additional considerations. Per-
haps “News Junkie” and oth-
ers binging on news would ben-
efit from looking inward to
consider what’s driving their
overconsumption.
5A
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Part of the reason
for your tough time back there was that your
gifts were not fully appreciated in the arena in
which you were trying to apply them. You will
focus your natural abilities differently and net
much bigger rewards.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Today it will be
futile to try to move things along at a different
pace than is currently happening, and no one
cool is doing that anyway. So just relax and let
things meander as they will. You may even like
where they wind up.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Much will depend
on the question you ask. The right question will
be like a magic button that opens up the eleva-
tor doors and allows you to step inside and go
as high or as deep as you like.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). As much as
you might like to be fooled by that charismatic
pitch person (especially if said pitch has to do
with being utterly in love with you), you wisely
recognize the large element of drama here for
what it is.
you are, about to push “repeat” on that.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You’ll fix dys-
function and address what’s not quite right.
How? First of all, no one will even see it as
“dysfunctional” until you point it out. Of course,
you would never point out such a thing without
a solution to offer.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). If you say
only what you mean, some won’t hear you,
some won’t understand you, some will take of-
fense. But the ones who hear, understand and
accept the message will give you total trust.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It seems that
the stability model doesn’t offer all that much
stability after all. It’s time to spend more time
with the visionaries — the creative people who
are more excited by what could be than by
what has been.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). In poems and
in parties, a great entry point is when things
have already happened. Actually, this is true of
relationships as well. You’ll get the sense that
you’re hopping onto a moving train.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). If you can finish it
in 10 minutes, don’t take 20. It will never be
perfect, but it was probably good enough about
five paces back. As they say in business, “Ship
it.”
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’ll present
yourself through a variety of formats. Whether
it’s a meeting, an online forum, a telephone
conversation or another medium, it’s the listen-
ing you do that will make the best impression.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). If you don’t draw a
line between what you’re willing to do and what
you’re not, that line will emerge as if from great
unseen forces — like hot lava drawn up from
the core of the earth, thick and red.
TOMORROW’S BIRTHDAY (March 1). You
know more than you let on. The silent power
in that will be a key to your breakthrough this
month. A lucky paycheck is involved, too. Fam-
ily ties bring about strange and story-worthy
events. There’s a contest of sorts this summer
and entering will make you a winner in more
ways than one. Sagittarius and Libra adore
you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 3, 33, 38 and
14.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’ve made com-
promises, some of them tremendous. It wasn’t
such a big deal to you because you sensed
that what you were getting out of the deal
would develop you in untold ways. Now here
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