Thursday, October 19, 2017
PEANUTS
COFFEE BREAK
East Oregonian
Page 7A
DEAR ABBY
BY CHARLES M . SCHULZ
Extreme hoarding poses risk
to mom’s house and health
FOR BETTER OR WORSE
BY LYNN JOHNSTON
B.C.
BY JOHNNY HART
PICKLES
BY BRIAN CRANE
Dear Abby: I am a 68-year-old
Dear Abby: My 36-year-old son
lives with me, which benefits both of
male reader, married, with many
us. I am retired and his income helps.
friends and acquaintances. My best
The problem I’m having is he hoards
friend (“Brent”) has a long-time
garbage.
girlfriend (“Judy”) we are with all
It’s terrible. There’s garbage on his
the time. There is also another couple
bed, and it has reached the ceiling in
(“Tom” and “Sue”) we like very much.
other parts of the room. This has been
The six of us have gone out and
going on for many years.
had what I thought was a good time,
Jeanne
Two years ago, I filled up two large Phillips but when I proposed another get-to-
garbage bags to throw out. It didn’t
gether, Judy said she felt Sue was
Advice
even make a dent. When he got home,
condescending and unfriendly to her. I
he was furious and deducted $50
have never experienced this with Sue,
from the rent because he felt I needed to have and I didn’t observe anything like that when
consequences for what I did. I realized then we were all together, but I suppose I could be
how serious this is. I know it’s a health hazard oblivious.
as well as a fire hazard.
My problem is, there are times it’s awkward
I’m at my wits’ end. I understand this has to to not invite Tom and Sue (as well as the fact
do with loss, and he has had many, including I have fun with them and would like them
a dad who left when I was pregnant. There there). Is there something I can do to change
has been no contact during his lifetime. Please this situation? — Awkward In The East
help. — Son’s A Hoarder
Dear Awkward: Do not get into a squabble
Dear Son’s A Hoarder: Your son is between the two women. If Judy prefers not
suffering from a mental disorder. There is help to socialize with Sue, she may not accept an
for it — IF he is willing to admit that he needs invitation if she knows Sue will be present,
it.
which is her privilege. Because you like both
A licensed mental health professional couples, see them separately until this blows
could help him understand why he is hoarding over — if it ever does. If you are asked why
and motivate him to change the habits that the dynamic has changed, tell Brent the truth
have led to it. There are also medications that about what Judy told you so he won’t think it
can lessen his compulsion to hoard. However, has anything to do with him.
it won’t happen unless you finally put your
Dear Readers: Today marks the celebra-
foot down and inform your son that what tion of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. It
he’s doing is a health and safety hazard, and a spiritually signifies the victory of light over
risk you will no longer tolerate. Tell him that darkness, good over evil, knowledge over
unless he gets help, he will no longer be able ignorance and hope over despair. My best
to live under your roof.
wishes to all who celebrate it.
DAYS GONE BY
BEETLE BAILEY
GARFIELD
BLONDIE
BY MORT WALKER
BY JIM DAVIS
100 Years Ago
From the East Oregonian
Oct. 19, 1917
The lady stood on the Main street bridge and
probably with the hope of seeing her reflection
in the placid waters below, she gazed over the
rail and downward. Her careless glance soon
turned into a fixed stare and her face blanched.
She clutched at her leaping heart but it eluded
her grasp and went on beating madly. She
tried to cry aloud but her voice only came in
choking gasps. What did she see, do you ask?
There lying on the bottom of the river in two
feet of water she saw plainly the feet and legs
of a man’s body. The head and torso were
gone. Some villain had evidently thrown his
victim in piece by piece. Before, however,
she could summon help, she discovered her
mistake. The man’s legs and feet belonged to
a clothing store dummy which someone had
dumped into the river.
50 Years Ago
From the East Oregonian
Oct. 19, 1967
Tuesday, Oct. 24, will be “Blackie Batch-
elor Day” in Pendleton. Batchelor, who has
been chief of the Pendleton Fire Department
35 years, will retire from active duty October
31. He has served 45 years in the fire depart-
ment. The special day was announced at last
night’s city council meeting in a proclamation
prepared by Mayor Eddie Knopp. Batchelor
joined the department April 26, 1922 as a
fireman and mechanic and was appointed
chief July 8, 1932.
25 Years Ago
From the East Oregonian
Oct. 19, 1992
Few high school athletes have the talent
to play any sport they choose. Fewer still
have the combination of talent and will
to be among the best at all of them. Tony
Hilde of Pendleton established himself in
the latter category even before he began his
senior year this fall in his third season as the
Pendleton Bucks starting quarterback. So far
in his high school career, Hilde has started
on the school’s varsity football, baseball and
basketball teams and wrestled his way to a
state championship match. Hilde’s numbers
are, not surprisingly, drawing attention
outside the sometimes isolated confines of
Eastern Oregon high school sports. About the
only person taken by surprise when college
recruiters began to notice was the soft-spoken
Pendleton senior himself.
BY DEAN YOUNG AND STAN DRAKE
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
DILBERT
THE WIZARD OF ID
LUANN
ZITS
BY SCOTT ADAMS
BY BRANT PARKER AND JOHNNY HART
BY GREG EVANS
BY JERRY SCOTT AND JIM BORGMAN
Today is the 292nd day of
2017. There are 73 days left in
the year.
Today’s Highlight in
History:
On Oct. 19, 1987, the
stock market crashed as the
Dow Jones Industrial Average
plunged 508 points, or 22.6
percent in value (its biggest
daily percentage loss), to
close at 1,738.74 in what
came to be known as “Black
Monday.”
On this date:
In 1216, John, King of
England, died, more than a
year after affixing his royal
seal to Magna Carta (“The
Great Charter”).
In 1781, British troops
under Gen. Lord Cornwallis
surrendered at Yorktown,
Virginia, as the American
Revolution neared its end.
In 1864, Confederate Lt.
Gen. Jubal A. Early’s soldiers
attacked Union forces at Cedar
Creek, Virginia; the Union
troops were able to rally and
defeat the Confederates.
In 1914, the U.S. Post
Office began delivering mail
with
government-owned
cars, as opposed to using
contracted vehicles.
In 1936, H.R. Ekins of the
New York World-Telegram
beat out Dorothy Kilgallen
of the New York Journal and
Leo Kieran of The New York
Times in a round-the-world
race on commercial flights
that lasted 18 1/2 days.
In 1953, the Ray Bradbury
novel “Fahrenheit 451,” set
in a dystopian future where
books are banned and burned
by the government, was
first published by Ballantine
Books.
In 1977, the supersonic
Concorde made its first
landing in New York City.
The body of West German
industrialist Hanns Martin
Schleyer, who had been
kidnapped by left-wing
extremists, was found in
Mulhouse, France.
In 1982, automaker John
Z. DeLorean was arrested by
federal agents in Los Angeles,
accused of conspiring to sell
$24 million of cocaine to
salvage his business. (DeLo-
rean was acquitted at trial on
grounds of entrapment.)
Today’s
Birthdays:
Author John le Carre is 86.
Artist Peter Max is 80. Author
and critic Renata Adler is
80. Actor Michael Gambon
is 77. Actor John Lithgow is
72. Feminist activist Patricia
Ireland is 72. Singer Jeannie
C. Riley is 72. Rock sing-
er-musician Patrick Simmons
(The Doobie Brothers) is 69.
Talk show host Charlie Chase
is 65. Rock singer-musician
Karl Wallinger (World Party)
is 60. Former Republican
National
Committee
Chairman Michael Steele is
59. . Boxer Evander Holyfield
is 55. Host Ty Pennington
(TV: “Extreme Makeover:
Home Edition”) is 53. Actor
Jon Favreau is 51. “South
Park” co-creator Trey Parker
is 48. Comedian Chris Kattan
is 47. Rock singer Pras Michel
(The Fugees) is 45. Actress
Gillian Jacobs is 35.
Thought for Today: “It
takes a clever man to turn
cynic and a wise man to be
clever enough not to.” —
Fannie Hurst, American
author (both this date in 1885,
died 1968).
PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN
BY DANA SIMPSON
BIG NATE
BY LINCOLN PEIRCE