PUZZLES Tuesday, August 3, 2021 Give This Puzzle a Shot! by Ross Trudeau & Malaika Handa Universal Crossword edited by David Steinberg ACROSS 43 Lead-in to “intellectual” 1 “So close!” 45 When to test an 7 Promotion on a app podcast, say 49 Exchange of 11 Rx from Dr. Mom cross words 14 One may devour 50 Common “Chocolat” autobiography 15 Flight-related subtitle prefix 51 Arrange, as a 16 Snicker syllable shawl 17 When to sample 54 Like proofed wedding desserts dough 19 Night before a 55 Mask or cloak holiday 56 Softball stat 20 Pronoun for 59 “___ get over it” Rihanna 60 Taxing periods, 21 Sitter’shandfuls and a hint to 22 Bert’s foil on 17-, 30- and “Sesame Street” 45-Across 24 Know by intuition 64 “Boyz n the Hood” 26 Exams scored actress Long from 1-5 65 Tablet some take 28 ___ gobi (Indian to bed dish) 66 Gloria Estefan’s 30 When to present Cuban birthplace a case 67 What an electric 32 Like a trampoline car doesn’t use 35 They’re capped 68 They may be above two feet stroked or inflated 36 Snip 69 In, now 37 Tracking device DOWN 39 Fir fluid 1 Story trajectories 42 Suspicious 2 Rachel’s biblical sister 3 Gets to first base 4 Reverent poem 5 Take effect 6 Streetcars 7 Rewards for “good boys” 8 Floral garland 9 Decorative vase 10 Very enterprising people 11 Cryptography org. 12 Actor Joseph Gordon-___ 13 Nacho topping 18 Design detail, for short 23 Some lipstick shades 25 For-ev-er 26 Julia Roberts, to Emma Roberts 27 Before surgery, informally 28 Jackson 5 hit with an alphabetical title 29 “Skip to My ___” 31 Gives the green light 33 Grade school semiformal accessory 34 Nintendo dinosaur 38 Blacken 39 Powerful DC figure? 40 Computing pioneer Lovelace 41 Drum for a toddler, maybe 42 Renown 44 Clairvoyance, e.g., briefly 45 Revealing, as one’s soul 46 Clarke who played Mother of Dragons 47 Certain electric cars 48 Perfect garden 52 This way: ---> 53 Place to exchange rings 55 TikTok content, casually 57 Stretch, as the truth 58 “My word!” 61 D&D, e.g. 62 NBA legend Ming 63 “___ been drinkin’ ...” (Beyonce lyric) Sports Center by Julian Lim Universal Crossword edited by David Steinberg ACROSS 1 Artistic inspiration 5 Penne ___ vodka 9 Albacore and bluefin 14 Banded gem 15 Weaving device 16 Japanese port city 17 Dinosaur experts (Hint: Read this answer’s last 3 letters first) 20 Head of state? 21 One who takes a vow, or a pledge 22 One-dollar chips at a high rollers’ table, say (... last 4 letters first) 25 Roll of cash 28 Golden or brown brew 29 Trivia champion Jennings 30 Two-piece swimsuit 32 Piece of work 34 Oboe necessity 37 Burn slightly 38 Into many things? (... last 4 letters first) 41 Gadget 42 Garment such as an obi 43 Stock option? 45 “___ Eleven” (2001 heist comedy) 47 Compostable straws? 49 Fish eggs 50 Word after “flower” or “oyster” 51 Low-cost lodging (... last 3 letters first) 55 Like many restaurants 56 What skaters “catch” after jumping 57 Those who stick together forever, or a theme hint 63 Rihanna wore one for a British Vogue cover 64 Draw in 65 Duct ___ 66 Enjoys a newspaper 67 Church recess 68 Southern fried vegetable DOWN 1 “The Simpsons” bartender 2 Game with Reverse cards 3 Produced electronically, as music 4 Bonus 5 “___ is well” 6 Rigidity’s opposite 7 Deductive skill 8 Sect wary of technology 9 Belief with spirit animals 10 Russia, once: Abbr. 11 Siesta 12 Wanted poster letters 13 Nickname within “Absalom” 18 Piglet’s sound 19 Ticket tear-off 22 Touch on the back 23 “The Silence of the Lambs” protagonist 24 Spice Girl Halliwell 25 When a beach trip is especially nice 26 Poet Maya 27 Game cube 31 Rios and Sorentos 33 ___ Sutra 35 Texter’s “When will you be here?” 36 Brings shame to 39 Yens 40 Casual talk 41 Slimy lump 44 Oversaw 46 Button often clicked moments before noticing a typo 48 “Uh-huh” 52 One of its Roadsters is in space 53 Reach out to, colloquially 54 Be untruthful with 55 Out of battery power 57 New Deal prez 58 Regret 59 Songwriter Gershwin 60 Shirt shot from a cannon 61 “Car Talk” network 62 Substance control org. East Oregonian A15 HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY MATHIS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2021 Uranus Poses a Question Given the way the world works, it would be absurd to feel entitled to a life without adversity. To have all of what you need and most of what you want, though ideal, is certainly not the norm. The precarious Uranus position asks, “Could we at least have a chance to work hard for the option?” Advocate for opportunities and freedoms for all. ARIES (March 21-April 19). There is no shortcut to becoming. The stages are often extremely awkward. It will feel scary and false to pretend to be something you’re not, which is precisely why transformation is only for the brave (which you are!) TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You are more resolute and implacable than any opposition you could encounter. If they are stronger, wait until a moment of weakness. If they are faster, let them tire themselves out. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). People are serving their own interests as they cast you in a role, decide how to see you and predict who you are. Their opinions will be only very slightly useful in your crafting of who you want to be. CANCER (June 22-July 22). If all the world is a stage, today you’re the lighting director. You set a mood, direct attention by spotlighting important things and convey your expectations by bringing it brightly up or quietly down. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You have cultivated an ability to see yourself from a distance. This opens you to a wider range of possibilities than most others around you will ever know about. Objectivity is a cornerstone of sophistication and maturity. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Humor will accelerate relationships. Connection, trust and communication happen inside of a smiling breath. Everyone who laughs together is standing on common ground. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). When things start to go awry and the questions pour into your mind, let them. Don’t bother answering, either -- there’s no time. Get to work clearing the obstacles, and let the questions answer themselves. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). There’s no shortage of disagreeable ideas, though insulting their endorsers with an opposing opinion holds no appeal. If you have nothing to prove, you’ll forgo 100 arguments to save your energy for what matters. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You make people a little uncomfortable, and that’s a good thing. Don’t rush to ease the tension or you’ll spoil the opportunity here for all to try harder, raise the level and be the best version of themselves. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The current obstacle between you and what you want is basically immaterial. Charge ahead. You’ll be surprised how little force it takes to push through. Like a proper bully, this thing has no power beyond your fear of it. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Between you and the next thing, there’s a gap -- an invitation to a leap of faith. If you don’t have faith, that’s fine, too. Consider engineering, aeronautics, wire-walking... there’s more than one way to bridge this. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You thought you’d learned from a mistake, but now you’re back at a place that looks suspiciously similar, and with the urge to repeat the unfruitful actions of the past! It’s a matter of the lesson being a little deeper than it looks. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 4). Life is good, not because it’s problem-free but because it brings you your favorite types of problems -- the kind that pay you, introduce you to exciting people and places, and sharpen your talents. Your beautiful attitude bonds you with complementary companions. An investment ripens, allowing a dream purchase. Aries and Virgo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 4, 44, 2, 27 and 10. Universal SUDOKU SOLUTIONS HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY MATHIS THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 2021 Leo Sun Checkpooint It’s like we’re taking one step at a time down an enormous and eternal Archimedes’ screw. No matter how familiar the scene, or how convinced you are you’ve done it before, you haven’t. Each step is new. Stop thinking in terms of a destination, and warm yourself in this perfectly enjoyable moment of the Leo sun. ARIES (March 21-April 19). One way to conquer fear is to learn all you can about what you are afraid of. Look at it; get involved with it; figure out its mechanics and preferences, what it needs and, most importantly, what it’s afraid of. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). How you feel around people will make a huge difference. Ideally, you have people around you who help you stay loose, creative and solution-oriented. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Don’t leave yourself an out. Go for the hike, not the treadmill, which can be abandoned on a whim at any moment. Once you commit to the hike, however far in you get, that’s the distance you’ll have to go to get back. CANCER (June 22-July 22). Praise is like food. A certain amount is required. The more nutrient-dense, the better. But praise too sweet, empty or overabundant may be gratifyingly useless or even treacherous. Be disciplined in your give and take. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). One simple principle will organize the rest. Decide what and who is important, and spend all your yeses there. Everything else is a no that you don’t even have to say. Everyone will see you’re busy! VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You’ll see examples of ugly entitlement, an effective deterrent. How will you keep yourself from being spoiled? Humility, gratitude, charity, duty... no need to choose one. Take a teaspoon of each virtue, and mix it into your day. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). If you start comparing yourself to others, where will you stop? There are well over 7 billion people in the world, many of them with social media accounts. Minding your own business will pay off in healthy and productive ways. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). There is no way to learn less. You can forget the lesson, rebel against it or even adopt its opposite belief, but the learning still happened, and you’re still changed by it. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’ll be challenged to difficult tasks, instructionless or unpopular, cryptically laid out, requiring of your courage and ingenuity. In other words, it’s just another day at the office. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Steer away from the overglorification of the intangible magic you wield. Stick with the nuts and bolts of the job. All charmed outcomes will come together through the proficient execution of tasks. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Your big heart cannot be contained. It will pump joy into everything you do, beat faster for someone special and stay in perfect rhythm with your highly choreographed world. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Everyone is great in a different way. With each person you meet, you make a habit of finding out just what kind of greatness you’re dealing with so you can feature and enjoy it. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 5). You’re needed! Not so much that you feel pressure, but enough to where you understand the difference you make. Helping others will be your pleasure and happiness. You become self- sufficient in new ways, too, which gives you freedoms you’ve been craving. A financial gain will allow you to explore a new interest. Cancer and Scorpio adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 8, 30, 33, 21 and 18. Universal SUDOKU SOLUTIONS