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June 13, 2018 The Skanner Page 9 News 5 Lessons on Peace I Learned From my Cat Soleil How Big is Gig Economy? Government Study Shows How Little We Know By Christopher Rugaber, AP Economics Writer Dr. Jasmine’s tabby cat enjoys the warmth from the sunlight By Jasmine Streeter, DVM Special to The Skanner News C ats are incredible creatures that make excellent com- panions. Sigmund Freud once said, “Time spent with cats is never wasted.” I agree. Their majestic, independent and self-sufficient per- sonalities are truly to be respected. More of- ten than not, when I find myself frantically rush- ing to make a deadline, I catch my cat Soleil qui- etly sitting and watching me. She rarely seems stressed, frequently naps under rays of sun- shine and never misses a meal. After years of liv- ing under her reign, I’ve learned and adopted five of her most peaceful hab- its that I will share with you. 1. Cats understand com- fort is key. Make your surround- ings comfortable and peace will follow. Cats have mastered the art of comfort and they know it. Take a look around a cat lover’s home and you will most likely find a re- laxed and content com- panion. Beautiful garden views with access to bird watching, large plush pillows, and relaxing back massages are favor- ites in Soleil’s repertoire of kitty comforts. 2. Cats understand that naps are good. Cats sleep almost all day with intermittent bouts of play and activity. They are considered cre- puscular, meaning they are most active during dawn and dusk. On the contrary, living in a fast- paced, high-tech society has had caused many Americans to suffer from sleep deprivation. The National Sleep Foun- dation reported that a 20- to 40-minute nap can improve mood, alertness and performance. Imag- ine how much kinder many of us would be if we took a nap. Next time you have a break, try a cat nap and watch your wellbeing increase. Dr. Jasmine Shanelle Streeter Veterinarian 3. Cats understand that money can’t buy hap- piness. I’ve purchased a cornu- copia of cat toys from ex- pensive pet boutiques to amuse Soleil. Of course, in true cat fashion, she finds more joy playing inside a paper bag and swatting at my ponytail palm tree. As a material- istic society, we see im- ages bombarded every day on television and on social media. Cats are an honest reminder that true happiness comes from within. 4. Cats understand self- love. Cats are some of the most confident animals I know. Whether they are perching on a window- sill, sashaying across the room or effortlessly leap- ing from a ledge, they do it with grace and pride. They pause in front of an antique mirror to admire their beauty be- fore moving on to more stately affairs. I often feel the soft purring I hear Soleil emit during her grooming sessions are words of affection and affirmation. We should strive each day to love ourselves as our cats do. 5. Cats don’t sweat the small stuff. When it comes to liv- ing life, cats are noto- rious for keeping the peace. When possible they choose the path of practicality and least resistance. They avoid confrontations and are happy to remove them- selves from stressful sit- uations in exchange for a tranquil atmosphere. We should do the same. Through Soleil’s feline teachings I have found immeasurable happiness and peace. So on this day, I wish the same for you. You can ask Dr. Jasmine your pet question or email your pet photo to drjas- mine@theskanner.com. WASHINGTON — Look around, and it seems more Americans are working outside traditional full- time jobs — whether as freelance graphic designers or indepen- dent contractors or Uber drivers. Or maybe not. A government report this week suggested that the proportion of such jobs hasn’t budged in the past decade. Yet the data carries limitations that indi- cate there’s still plenty we don’t know about the evolving U.S. job market. The Labor Depart- ment’s report con- cluded that more than 15 million Americans were working as in- dependent contrac- tors, on-call workers, temporary workers and for contract com- panies as of May 2017. That’s equal to about 10.1 percent of the American workforce, down slightly from 10.8 percent when the government last con- ducted the survey, in 2005. That conclusion contradicts a body of academic research that has found a sig- nificant increase in what economists call “alternative work arrangements.” Two leading economists, Lawrence Katz and Alan Krueger, found in a 2016 study that the number of people in alternative work had risen by more than 50 percent in 2015 from a decade ear- lier, to 23.6 million. And the Federal Reserve re- leased a report last month that said nearly one-third of Ameri- cans rely on side jobs or so-called “gig” work to supplement their incomes. So what might explain the dis- parities between the govern- ment’s report and other research? Here are areas where econ- omists agree with the report’s conclusions, where they found it lacking and why it all matters: Gig economy hype is overdone You may be able to grab an Uber in every big city. But that doesn’t mean the nation as a whole is en- gulfed by people finding work through mobile apps. The gov- ernment’s report appears to put the “gig economy” in proper per- spective: Such jobs hardly seem to represent the future of work in America. Katz and Kruger’s See ECONOMY on page 10 Need health insurance? CareOregon’s goMobile Team can help you sign up for Oregon Health Plan (OHP). 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