A8 PUZZLES East Oregonian Closing Remarks by Zhougin Burnikel Universal Crossword edited by David Steinberg Saturday, September 26, 2020 HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY MATHIS SUNDAY, SEPT. 27, 2020 Communication Cuts We’re headed into a cycle of communication that cuts through the noise. It happens in messages that are sharp, well defined and honest. It happens in moments of clarity and, sometimes, urgency. This is the gift of Mercury in Scorpio: In the quest to share what is essential, formality, ambiguity and fear will fall to the wayside. ARIES (March 21-April 19). To be in touch with reality but not bound to it – that is the existential sweet spot you’ll hit today. You’ll be a player on the stage, pretending while never losing sight of the fact that this is only a role. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). The question of the day: If you knew that everything you gave a person would be passed forward to someone else, would it change your offerings? And if so, how? GEMINI (May 21-June 21). There are good surprises and bad surprises, and yet you’d really prefer no surprises today. You’d rather people do as you do – which is to say, set up an expectation and then deliver on it! CANCER (June 22-July 22). You’ll have the sensation of many feelings happening at once, and the loudest ones get through. Life gets more interesting once you handle those loud feelings and settle into the nuances. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’re a fixer, but not everyone’s a fixer. There’s an art to figuring out which problems to get into. Whatever you take on, it will touch you, mold you and ultimately define you. So, what here is really yours? ACROSS 1 Long tale 5 “I called it first!” 9 Some luxury hotels 14 Israel’s flagship carrier 15 Country on the Strait of Hormuz 16 Tea in Hollywood 17 *Signed a treaty, say 19 Hawke of “Training Day” 20 Cool hangout 21 Barnyard female 23 Friend squad 24 “___ in Boots” 26 Storm tracker 28 “Personally ...” 31 Took charge of 34 PreCheck org. 35 Dreaded sound at a spelling bee 37 Chili scooper 38 “It’s not bragging if you can back it up” boxer 39 *Common source of buyer’s remorse 41 Poem full of praise 42 Great danger 44 Forever and a day 45 46 48 51 53 54 56 58 62 64 66 67 68 69 70 71 Arya Stark’s dad Intervene Wordsmith Noah Litter pickup spots? MacFarlane who made Ted talk Like many horses’ hooves You may open one in a browser Sudden attack Brownish-gray nail polish color Closing comments, or what the ends of the starred answers are Hot under the collar Boyz II Men, e.g. Traffic jam sound California/Nevada lake Stage backdrops Name hidden in “use an alias” DOWN 1 Long-haul rig 2 Cryptanalyst Turing 3 Wanders (about) 4 Syrian city on the Silk Road 5 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, e.g. 6 Savings plan letters 7 “The Art of Fugue” composer 8 Derisive look 9 Futbol fan’s cheer 10 Fundraiser known for its outfits 11 *”Everything’s OK” 12 ___ instant (quickly) 13 Perform in a glee club 18 Rain really hard 22 “I’m gonna pass” 25 Like a catty remark 27 PC brand 28 Speck of land 29 *”I can live with that” 30 Furnish with grant money 32 Venerated village figure 33 Property document 34 Touches on the shoulder 36 Some determine hair color 39 Minor hiccup 40 Hazardous insulation material 43 Powerful Apple tablet 47 Shrimp catcher 49 Put away 50 Beats rapidly 52 Sprinkles, as an icy road 54 “Make it snappy!” 55 Maui’s ___ Highway 57 Uncovered 59 Support for a backyard swing 60 Skull session creation 61 “NFL Live” channel 63 Palindromic organ 65 Pull up a stool 39 Keep watch on 40 Precede the headliner 41 Source of lemons 42 Judicial wear 44 Hit the brakes 45 Sister of Snow White 48 Hit the brakes 49 Test taker’s tip? 50 Lasting mark 51 Put a lid on 54 Good thing 55 Place for the nostalgic (first 1 + last 3) 58 Boring way to learn 59 State firmly 60 Carried by the wind 61 Vending machine bills 62 Has-been horses 63 More than just suspend DOWN 1 Drink with a burger 2 Major work of music 3 Big name in trucks 4 Old Testament ship 5 Hindered the progress of 6 Reach home safely? 7 Eight minutes per mile, say 8 Bugling beast 9 Identity concealer 10 Sheridan’s mangler of words (first 1 + last 2) 11 Leonhard of mathematics 12 Rock used in pool tables 13 Felled with an ax 18 Egg timer filler 23 100+, for a centenarian 24 Women’s roomy garments (first 1 + last 6) 25 Most of Iberia 26 Drinking game amount 27 First ___, first served 28 29 31 33 34 35 37 41 43 44 45 46 47 48 50 51 52 53 56 57 SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). In the digital world, you learn aspects of a person’s being that are, essentially, abstract. There are many digital options, and yet, realistically, there is no substitute for sharing a vicinity with another person. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). There’s no perfect option. Each has benefits and pitfalls. Not knowing a pitfall keeps you in fear. So when you stumble into the pit, appreciate what’s happened. It’s better to know. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You’ve a stellar memory these days, but keeping records is still very important. Writing, taking pictures and more helps you keep things straight and frees your mental energy for more important things. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Do not underestimate the power of context, which is largely about environment. It is easier to behave well in an environment that holds no temptations. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You are beginning to see yourself as a new person. You will become who you are in your mind’s eye. Be daring. Try new visions. You can always change your mind later. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Sept. 27). Being right, important and powerful is an ego inflator. But being free is a soul inflator. You’d rather have the kind of levity that comes with freedom, and this becomes a guiding principle of your year. You’ll find fulfillment in fascinating work and people who give you the room to be yourself. Aries and Virgo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 18, 9, 6, 22 and 43. Universal SUDOKU SOLUTIONS HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY MATHIS Hairsplitting by Fred Piscop Universal Crossword edited by David Steinberg ACROSS 1 Sometimes- induced sleeps 6 Floored it 10 Mosquito netting material 14 Dizzying designs 15 “Going Back to ___” (LL Cool J hit) 16 “Masks required,” e.g. 17 Superstitious athlete’s footwear (first letter + last 4) 19 Cabbage mixture in some wraps 20 Query 21 Colt bearer 22 Egg cell, e.g. 24 Pitchfork part 25 Sweetened, in a way 26 Long-winded speech 29 Long-winded speech 30 “The ___ of the Baskervilles” 31 Polling flaw 32 Sailed through 36 Leave out 37 Actress Carter 38 Recite the rosary, say VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You can’t un-ring a bell. Someone close to you will be unable to resist the impulse, even though ringing that bell is essentially “crying wolf” with the shake of a wrist. It’s unhelpful, as there’s no emergency. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). People feel different things in different places. You are a place, too – a roaming place with its own emotional atmosphere. Everywhere you go, you carry your weather with you. MONDAY, SEPT. 28, 2020 Venus and Mars Harmonize Totally wreck Highest dice rolls Two-legged beast Raven’s relative Mansard roof overhang Applied henna to Common guard dog “Praise the lord!” Tram load at a mine Lead actor Duplicate, in brief Early synthetic fabric Cook quickly, as onions Trash-hauling boats Skyline obscurer Fish in gefilte fish Boleyn of old England Lemon zest, essentially Marcille who left “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” Fish sandwiched in a bagel A single bar of metal, bent in two spots, forms the charming idiophone-type percussion instrument known as the triangle. When struck with a tiny wand, the sound that emanates is one of wishes granted by angels. Venus and Mars angle each other similarly today, striking a balance of yin and yang energies that’s sweet music indeed. ARIES (March 21-April 19). Stay with what you’re going through. Avoid the mindless activities or busywork that distract you from your thoughts and feelings. There’s nothing inside your mind that you need to be afraid of. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). From the ice cream bin to the remote control, there will be a number of readily available, cheap pleasures to choose from. Be advised that what soothes one moment could harm the next. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Novelty is a necessity and can keep creativity alive while staving off depression. However, a little entertainment goes a long way. Too much makes it difficult to focus on what matters. CANCER (June 22-July 22). The sort of thoughts that travel ever forward are so fun to ride. But when you hit on those thoughts that loop back, or worse, spiral and constrict, it’s best to jump off. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The clever one who showed you the ropes, led you down the shortcuts, handed you the recipe has already been repaid with a helping high and the satisfaction of your ease. Now you’ll pay it forward. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). When you get stuck, forget about who you are and your role/story/brand... In fact, forget about all relevant nouns and just do the verb. Action is the way. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Those constantly signaling their own superiority are actually sending out a clear indicator of insecurity. Instead of criticizing this, you’ll embrace it, realizing the extra care that everyone needs. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). It’s easy to discern your preferences and easier still to criticize efforts that don’t meet the standard. The hard work is to identify the root cause of one’s own insecurity. Why does having superior taste matter so much? SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Your storytelling skills can win or lose points today. The way you tell a story will not only make a difference in how you are perceived; it will indicate where you are in your personal evolution. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Inside each problem is an opportunity to learn, grow, innovate or conquer. Now the opportunity will be hard to spot, though, and it will help to have an observant friend around to point it out. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Your dream is bigger than the gatekeepers who are keeping you from it. If it’s hard to make things happen, consider what you can change. How would this play to a different venue, genre or audience? PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’ll find charm in natural objects, sights and sounds. And if the natural world seems far removed from you now, turn to your nature, which is as beautifully wild as any other alive. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Sept. 28). You’ll get cosmic gifts you would not have thought to ask for and be delighted by a strange twist in November. You’ll provide for your inner circle and be regarded as a leader. You’ll sell a high-ticket item in February. In May, promises will be made and deals struck, and there’s release from unwanted obligation. Scorpio and Pisces adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 8, 17, 30, 22 and 48. Universal SUDOKU SOLUTIONS