B6
East Oregonian
PEANUTS
COFFEE BREAK
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
DEAR ABBY
BY CHARLES M . SCHULZ
Online relationship stalls
over meeting in person
FOR BETTER OR WORSE
BY LYNN JOHNSTON
B.C.
BY JOHNNY HART
PICKLES
BY BRIAN CRANE
BEETLE BAILEY
BY MORT WALKER
Dear Abby: I met a really great
lems” all his life, one would think
there would be a name for the ill-
guy online eight months ago. He
ness and a treatment plan. Because
lives in another country and we
he has neither, I question whether
have been in a long-distance rela-
tionship for the last six months. We
his health is the reason he doesn’t
talk all the time, video chat fre-
want you to visit him. He may be
quently and have grown very close.
in a relationship or not as he has
I have never clicked with anyone
represented himself in some other
J eanne
like I have with him, and I know he
way. What you need to do is move
P hilliPs
on.
feels the same.
ADVICE
Dear Abby: My mother-in-law
We are having a significant dis-
has the means to buy almost any-
agreement about meeting in per-
thing she wants. She’s a shopper, a
son. I’m willing to travel to his
borderline hoarder, yet very generous to her
country. The expense, while not negligible,
children. She buys expensive and unwanted
is within my means. However, he says he
gifts for all her kids — satisfying her shop-
has some serious ongoing health issues and
ping urges by getting us doubles of her lat-
he wants to wait until they are resolved to
est cooking gadget, vacuum cleaner or
meet. He has had them for much of his life,
10-pound box of chocolate we shouldn’t be
although they have gotten worse during the
eating in the first place.
time I have known him. So far, there has
While we’re not poor, we sure could use
been no diagnosis or treatment plan.
the money she’s wasting on these silly gifts.
When I have asked, he says I should be
How do we tell her that it’s awkward for us
patient and he doesn’t want our relationship
to receive an expensive vacuum when we
to be about waiting to do things because
need help with school tuition for our kids?
of his condition. Meanwhile, I know how
Is it wrong for us to look a gift horse in the
much pain he is in. I see it every time we
mouth, or insensitive of her to flaunt her
chat, and I know how much it affects him.
purchasing power while we’re struggling?
It’s not going to scare me away. I just want
— Regretfully Ungrateful
to be there with him, to see if we work as
Dear Regretfully: I’m not going to label
well in person as we seem to online.
your mother-in-law as insensitive or you as
I don’t want to add to his stress by insist-
ing we meet, but I also don’t want to spend
ungrateful. I do think the time has come for
months or years with my life on hold, wait-
you and her son to have a frank talk with
her and explain that, while you are grate-
ing for a perfect time to meet. What should
ful for the gifts, you could better use the
I do? — Gamer Girl in Indiana
money she’s spending on them for help
Dear Gamer Girl: When someone you
with her grandchildren’s school tuition. If
meet online is reluctant to meet in person
that offends her, so be it, but if she loves her
and interact with you fully, there is usually
grandchildren, I don’t think it should.
a reason. Having had these “health prob-
DAYS GONE BY
GARFIELD
BLONDIE
BY JIM DAVIS
BY DEAN YOUNG AND STAN DRAKE
100 Years Ago
From the East Oregonian
March 18-19, 1919
Ten tons of old clothing is asked for from
this county for relief of people in the allied
war zones. The campaign for the cloth-
ing will be handled by the Red Cross and
will be on between March 24th and 29th.
It is hoped to have at least 7000 pounds of
clothing provided by Pendleton. The col-
lection of the clothing will be handled by
Penland Bros. Those having garments they
will donate may give them to any Penland
delivery wagon or have them taken by phon-
ing to the Penland Bros. office, 339. Out of
town people are asked to ship their bundles
to Penland Bros., either prepaid or collect.
Heavy durable garments are preferable to
frail clothing.
50 Years Ago
From the East Oregonian
March 18-19, 1969
U.S. Air Force M. Sgt. Charles I. Flint,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence R. Flint,
Ukiah, has received his second award of
the Air Medal at Altus AFB, Okla., for
air action in Southeast Asia. Sgt. Flint
was cited for his outstanding airmanship
and courage as an inflight refueling oper-
ator on successful and important missions
under hazardous conditions. He is now at
Altus in a unit of the Strategic Air Com-
mand. The sergeant, a 1949 graduate of
Ukiah High School, served during the
Korean War.
25 Years Ago
From the East Oregonian
March 18-19, 1994
The Oregon Department of Transporta-
tion wants to replace the railroad overpass
— often referred to as the viaduct — in
southeast Pendleton. ODOT has released its
preferred alternative for widening the bridge
and improving access roads, but the proj-
ect is on hold because of budget restraints.
The plan would require moving the Burger
Island restaurant, but Mosher’s New & Used
furniture would survive.
TODAY 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
On March 19, 1945,
during World War II, 724
people were killed when
a Japanese dive bomber
attacked the carrier USS
Franklin off Japan.
In 1918, Congress passed
the first law establishing
daylight saving time in the
United States, with clocks
to be moved forward one
hour from the last Sunday
in March to the last Sunday
in October. (This law was
repealed in August 1919.)
In 1920, the Senate
rejected, for a second time,
the Treaty of Versailles by
a vote of 49 in favor, 35
against, falling short of the
two-thirds majority needed
for approval.
In 1931, Nevada Gov.
Fred B. Balzar signed a
measure legalizing casino
gambling.
In 1953, the Academy
Awards ceremony was tele-
vised for the first time; “The
Greatest Show on Earth”
was named best picture of
1952.
In 1966, the Texas
Western Miners defeated
the heavily favored Ken-
tucky Wildcats, 72-65, to
win the NCAA Champion-
ship played in College Park,
Maryland; making the con-
test especially notewor-
thy was that Texas Western
became the first basketball
team to start five black play-
ers in a national title game
as it faced an all-white Ken-
tucky squad.
In 1987, televangelist Jim
Bakker resigned as chair-
man of his PTL ministry
organization amid a sex and
money scandal involving a
former church secretary.
In
2003,
President
George W. Bush ordered
the start of war against Iraq.
(Because of the time differ-
ence, it was early March 20
in Iraq.)
In 2013, Pope Francis
officially began his ministry
as the 266th pope, receiv-
ing the ring symbolizing
the papacy and a wool stole
exemplifying his role as
shepherd of his 1.2-billion
strong flock during a Mass
at the Vatican.
Today’s Birthdays: For-
mer White House national
security adviser Brent
Scowcroft is 94. Singer Ruth
Pointer (The Pointer Sisters)
is 73. Actress Glenn Close is
72. Disgraced movie mogul
Harvey Weinstein is 67.
Actor Bruce Willis is 64.
Rock musician Gert Bettens
(K’s Choice) is 49. Rapper
Bun B is 46. Actress Vir-
ginia Williams is 41. MLB
pitcher Clayton Kershaw
is 31. Actor Craig Lamar
Traylor is 30. Actor Philip
Bolden is 24.
Thought for Today: “As
a woman I have no country.
As a woman my country is
the whole world.” — Vir-
ginia Woolf, English author
(1882-1941).
PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN
BY DANA SIMPSON
BIG NATE
BY LINCOLN PEIRCE