Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/568961
DILBERT ScottAdams PEARLSBEFORESWINE StephanPastis PICKLES BrianCrane BABYBLUES JerryScott&RickKirkman PHOEBEANDHERUNICORN DanaSimpson ZITS JerryScott&JimBorgman SHERMAN'SLAGOON JimToomey ARGYLESWEATER ScottHilburn BIZARRO DanPiraro DEARAMY»Mybest friend has a special birthday coming up. He has invited friends to a special dinner. This in- v it at io n in cl u de s my se lf , other individuals and some couples. Some are people I know, and some are not. My dilemma is that he did not invite my partner. She has known him and his wife as long as I have. Other couples on the guest list include people with whom we have all social- ized with many times. I thought her name was left off by mistake, so I called him. He explained that there was no mis- take; he was inviting only people with whom he felt close. He said he did not include her in that cat- egory. He said there were also some other couples where he had only invited one of the partners. My partner was dev- astated by being left out and I feel in a terrible quandary about whether to attend. On one hand I respect and like him so much I feel honored to be invited at all, but on the other I feel my partner's pain and I am also hurt that she was left out. I feel torn two ways — but I am leaning toward not attending. Can you offer any ad- vice to me and comment on the propriety, or lack of it, in this situation? —Torn DEAR TORN » To restate: You and your partner have known this friend and his wife for the same amount of time. You have spent time with the two of them as couples. There are no underlying prob- lems or conflicts. Your friend has cherry- picked among his crowd and invited some couples together, but excluded other spouses and partners. When queried, your friend declared, "I am only inviting people I like the most. You win!" I can't comment on the "propriety" of this exclu- sion because this is really about a guy celebrating himself by being explic- itly mean toward others and placing many of his friends in terrible posi- tions. This is completely outside the guidelines of propriety, which is really all about respect. If I was your partner, I would respond, "Ewww. Honey, you go if you want; I'm going to the movies." If I were you, I would respond, "It's hard to feel 'honored' by the opportu- nity to celebrate the life of such a jerk. I'll join you at the movies." DEAR AMY » Amy, Amy, Amy! I was so disap- pointed in your answer to "Excited but Guilty," the young woman who was going overseas to teach but whose elderly grand- parents were guilting her about it. You helped them send her on the guilt trip of a lifetime, Amy! I am a grandmother, and I say to her, "Go! Live your life. Have adven- tures. That's what you're supposed to do!" — Disappointed Gran DEAR GRAN » Scores of awesome grandparents responded. All agree with you. I blew this one. Man celebrates birthday by giving his friends a dilemma You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: askamy@tribune.com and follow her on Twitter @askingamy. Amy Dickinson Ask Amy Sudoku Instructions:Theobjectistoplacethe numbers1to9intheemptysquaresso thateachrow,eachcolumnandeach 3x3boxcontainsthenumberonlyonce. AnswertoPreviousPuzzle CelebrityCipher ByLuisCampos Instructions:CelebrityCiphercryptogramsarecreatedfromquotationsbyfamouspeople, pastandpresent.Eachletterinthecipherstandsforanother. NEACrossword Virgo(Aug.23-Sept.22) — Professional opportunities will open up if you make the most of your networking skills and take decisive action. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — Put your professional worries on the back burner and spend time with people you care about. Love and romance are looking good. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) — Not everyone shares your views, so unless you are asked for advice, keep your opinions to yourself. If you don't, you may be accused of interfering with someone else's affairs. Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) — Don't pass up a chance to travel. Monetary gains are likely if you listen to someone with more experience. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Take a break; all work and no play will lead to dissatisfaction. Your career is important, but finding a balance between your personal and professional lives is crucial. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You will be tempted to put in less effort or cut corners on tasks you don't enjoy doing, but in the end, you'll have to redo what you didn't get right the first time. Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20) — It's time to tie up loose ends. You will receive mixed messages from someone close to you. Financial gains will come your way from an unusual source. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Love, money and relation- ships are looking positive. Expand your credentials through study or travel. The more you do, the more successful you will be. Taurus (April 20-May 20) — You will have trouble focusing on work early in the day, so concentrate on taking stock of past events. By re-examining what's transpired, you'll find the answers you are searching for. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Formulate a plan to help you reach your goals. This will pre- vent you from trying to do too much all at once. Organization and proper planning will lead to success. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Personal issues will prey on your mind. Shift your focus. If you can keep your emotions out of the equation, taking on added responsibilities will bring lucra- tive rewards. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Letting matters unfold naturally will help you avoid headaches. Instead of getting upset over issues you cannot control, open your eyes to other options that will allow you to make progress. Horoscope By Eugenia Last THURSDAY, SEPT. 10 THURSDAY,SEPTEMBER10,2015 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM |YOURDAILYBREAK | 3 B