PUZZLES Saturday, June 12, 2021 Pride Month Themeless II by Adrian Johnson Universal Crossword edited by David Steinberg ACROSS 1 Phrase on a Hawaii license plate 11 Southern Montana tribe 15 Cheap energy source 16 “Saturday Night ___” 17 They’re served with wasabi 18 Nailed, as a test 19 WNW’s opposite 20 “... or ___!” 21 Layers of a cake 22 Body led by Chuck Schumer 25 Fusses over one’s appearance 27 Rapper ___ Def 28 Cake on a dish, say? 29 Variety 31 Shark’s habitat 34 Places to do shots 35 Get out of Dodge 36 Important element of injury recovery 39 “Little piggies” 40 Tributes in verse 41 Locales for many art studios 42 “Toy Story” antagonist 43 Periods of history 44 One of 15 in this grid 45 Cheered (for) 47 Existing from birth 51 Giant mammals in a pod 52 DVD players’ predecessors 55 Where Charlotte wrote “some pig” 56 Rug rats 57 Way out in an emergency 60 Instrument that tunes an orchestra 61 “Get to know you” activity 62 Possessive for Wonder Woman 63 Visibly embarrassed DOWN 1 Stubborn beasts 2 Wingless parasite 3 Mary-Kate or Ashley 4 “You wish!” 5 Shapiro of NPR 6 Wild outings at the mall, e.g. 7 Wrench, for one 8 Leatherworker’s implements 9 Travels instantaneously 10 Relatives of “ums” 11 Contentious assertion, perhaps 12 Starchy side often cooked in broth 13 Stayed out too long? 14 Joins in holy matrimony 21 Reward for a waiter 23 Build up 24 “Sula” author Morrison 26 Ill-considered 28 Realtors’ goals 30 Enter and Delete 31 Goes (for) 32 Outfit for many a church vocalist 33 Person with many contacts? 34 “Break a $20 bill by ripping it in half,” e.g. 35 Upside-down smile 37 Region that planks strengthen 38 North Carolina college 43 Sci-fi beings 44 They help people reach new heights 46 Welcome sights in the desert 48 Up and about 49 Shelter traditionally made from hides 50 Siskel’s partner 51 “However,” in textspeak 53 Reputation, informally 54 McEntire of country 57 Wood used for some telephone poles 58 Mediterranean ___ 59 Metered ride You Heard It Here First by Neville Fogarty Universal Crossword edited by David Steinberg ACROSS 1 Puts down gently 5 Bidding website 9 Unwraps, maybe 14 Emit soft light 15 Scrubbed, at NASA 16 Entertainer such as Tig Notaro 17 Spend $250 on “Wheel of Fortune” 19 Make amends 20 Sprint’s merging partner in 2020 21 Rowing need 23 Magician Kramer 24 Fill in the ___ 26 Do some networking 28 Unrestrained outing 31 Signs of what’s to come 33 Like most rock concerts 34 Concern for members of the queer community 38 Journalist Curry 39 Covers, as a floor 41 Signing need 42 Strictly following rules 44 Where to drive 45 Squandered 46 Travels indirectly 47 “You’ve convinced me!” 50 2 or 3 53 URL component 54 Green ingredient in a potpie 56 Orange ingredients in a potpie 60 To any degree 62 2000 NSYNC hit whose title suggests a farewell, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 34- and 42-Across 64 2003 OutKast hit whose title suggests a greeting 65 Snake’s shape, at times 66 Top-notch 67 “WandaVision” star Elizabeth 68 Sand mound 69 Overflow (with) DOWN 1 Rainbow flag initialism 2 Grad 3 Toy with a string 4 Used a mop 5 “___ Holmes” (2020 film) 6 Yang on “SNL” 7 Word after “Stone” or “Space” 8 Devil-may-care acronym 9 Sweet potato- shaped wind instruments 10 Tea vessel 11 Texting pictogram 12 Dressed to the ___ 13 Improv performance 18 Despicable 22 Urgent notice 25 Water feature with ornamental fish 27 Biblical beast 28 Thick piece 29 Small horse 30 Litter’s littlest 32 Mild-mannered 34 Ridge above the eyes 35 Once ___ a time 36 Use a Kindle, maybe 37 Brings to a close 39 20-Across offering 40 “Humble” home 43 “Los Espookys” channel 44 Back-up strategy? 46 Lean and muscular 47 Boise’s state 48 Lodging near a freeway 49 Sticks around 51 Trap during winter 52 Triangular part of a house 55 Multiple choice choices 57 Instrument related to an English horn 58 Tony winner Daly 59 Appear to be 61 Harsh cleaning chemical 63 “Thank ___ very much” East Oregonian B3 HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY MATHIS SUNDAY, JUNE 13, 2021 In the Light of Reality A solar square to Neptune is a buzzkill along the lines of theater lights going up midmovie. Even though the plot continues on the screen, the spell is broken as the vividness of a magical world turns into a mechanical projection blown out by ambient light. Well, at least now we know what’s real and who’s sitting next to us in the dark. ARIES (March 21-April 19). You’re curious, but you also appreciate the wonderment that comes before knowing. Finding beauty in a lingering mystery, you’ll refrain from asking questions you don’t want to know the answer to. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). “Measure twice and cut once” is the adage. But if you’re not planning to cut anything, is the measuring really necessary? Comparison can be problematic now. Don’t let “measuring up” take too much of your time and energy. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). When you’re in it for the journey, the scenic (though indirect) route has merit. There’s a decision to make. You won’t regret choosing what appeals most to your senses instead of a time frame. CANCER (June 22-July 22). You now see how the obstacle blocking your forward movement is at least partially self-created by limits you imposed with your mind. Terrific news! Now you can get around it by thinking a different way. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You put smiles on the faces of those you love for fun. To put smiles on faces you don’t know earns you karma points. If you want to go for true nobility, extend goodwill to the enemy. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). There are ideas that have an actual presence you can feel. It’s not unlike the presence of a person. You sense an idea hovering near, wanting to cross into your world. You need only welcome it in. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Once you accept that you are human, you give up trying to make everything so perfect and allow for a little of that primal instinct that is your birthright to kick in, too, some of which will be extremely helpful. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Living too safe gets boring. You don’t have to do anything too wild to get that charge of vitality that sends you to the higher realms of joy, though you do have to be willing to take a risk and get uncomfortable. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Attraction, curiosity and interest are not guaranteed to be reciprocal, and that’s what makes it so wonderful when mutuality presents itself, as it does today! You wonder about them; they wonder about you. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Being a good person doesn’t make you immune to bad moods, or bad behavior. Take things situation by situation. Try not to judge yourself for whatever you’re going through. Welcome the full range of your feelings. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). A vague inward feeling haunts. Quite simply, this one is a little like math homework in that it won’t resolve itself. The good news is it’s really only one problem and the minute you face it, you know the answer. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You go forward, never resting, with each step thinking of what you want – and your backup plan, too. You’re ready to fuel what’s working, catch what falls and leverage resources to greater effect. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (June 13). Unapologetically passionate, the ambition that drives you to achieve top ranking will also allow you to help others to a fantastic extent. You could make all the difference in the worlds of many. September brings a sense that nothing is fixed about your destiny and whimsical decisions will send you on an adventure. Virgo and Sagittarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 7, 12, 44, 18 and 3. Universal SUDOKU SOLUTIONS HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY MATHIS MONDAY, JUNE 14 2021 Rebel Yell “More” is the cry that echoes through the last week of the season, though Saturn and rebellious Uranus square with warning not to let our greed make us gullible. Be wary of miracle cures, absolute answers or convenient excuses for common problems. The secret to getting what you want is effective action taken consistently over time. ARIES (March 21-April 19). Your affinity for new ideas is at a high. Life will line up just the sort of mysteries that most delight you. Ask purposeful questions, and then listen and watch for clues that will help you put it all together. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). The most powerful forces are invisible. We see their effects but have no idea what they look like when they are not acting on an object. You’ll send invisible vibes today and thus align with the great powers of the universe. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You feel that the big picture is taken care of, and you handle the small issues that crop up with the confident grace of someone who’s not too worried about the future. CANCER (June 22-July 22). The dogs own nothing and wag their tales every day – just one of the many spiritual lessons from the canine world. Enjoy companionship. Stay optimistic. And when you’re happy, show it! You just might make others happy, too. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Young children and others who haven’t learned to be self-focused exist in a state of perpetual curiosity, constantly learning how the world works. You’ll spend time in such a state today as you lose yourself in a discovery process. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You don’t have to grab for a feeling, because feelings are fickle and will run when chased. Relax into how you want to feel before you have reason to, though, and the reasons will eventually show up. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’ll deal with a certain level of inconvenience, but it’s nothing new and you won’t be alone in experiencing such a thing. The focus will remain on solving what’s presented and learning as much as possible from it. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). While looks, money and power rank high on many people’s lists of attractive qualities, they’re not what you look for first, and you’ll be around those with similar values. Together you’ll seek and find and share something meaningful. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Packing too heavy isn’t just a problem for air travelers checking luggage; it also has a spiritual application. Don’t carry around yesterday or tomorrow. Pack what you’ll need today – or, better yet, this hour. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You’ll meet someone disarming and be impressed by the small things you have in common. These shared preferences and experiences are representative of something deeper. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). A world that doesn’t know you will try to sell you the same things it sells to everyone. This is why it’s so important to know yourself. It prevents you from wasting resources on the stuff that’s not going to work for you. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). There’s something you wanted and didn’t get. There is no mystical reason for this; the cause and effect just didn’t line up. You now have simple options. You can either experiment more to get the result or change what you want. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (June 14). This year, the area of life that’s been tricky for you will become a smooth, downhill coast. That’s not the result of any effort made by you; it’s just your time for cosmic love in this department. A state of ease becomes your default. You’ll attract more of it, which frees you up to be generous with loved ones in ways you couldn’t before. Leo and Taurus adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 3, 13, 45, 6 and 23. Universal SUDOKU SOLUTIONS