PUZZLES Tuesday, July 12, 2022 You’ve Got a Friend in Me by Kevin Shustack Universal Crossword edited by David Steinberg ACROSS 1 Apt rhyme for “exam,” to a procrastinator 5 Robe closer 9 Some free Wi-Fi hubs 14 Tomato type 15 Tennis great found in “smashes” 16 TV host ... or, read backward, a Marx brother 17 Couple, in a tabloid 18 End of a kite 19 Cautious 20 Set of local laws (In this answer, note the first + last letter and letters 7-9) 23 Win over 24 Unit of resistance 25 “Barry” network 28 Output of some agencies 29 Prejudice 32 On deck, say 34 Chocolaty, coffee- flavored dessert (First + last letter and letters 6-8) 36 Band formed in Stockholm 39 Before now 40 3/15, e.g. 41 Piece of plastic found on the beach? (First + last letter and letters 5-7) 46 Wrinkled plums 47 Sister of Rachel 48 Acquire 51 “Didn’t I tell you?” 52 Fuss 54 Shower sponge 56 Reject on ethical grounds (First + last letter and letters 4-7) 60 Give a talking-to 62 What might be on the house? 63 Decorate with tinsel 64 Rock similar to a thunder egg 65 Lazing about 66 Slushy treat 67 Like rock-hard abs 68 Athletic award 69 Stereotypical Scrabble pro DOWN 1 Black Sea peninsula 2 Stout 3 What you might make with an enemy 4 First lady Eisenhower 5 Like The Onion 6 Right away, briefly 7 Sect that doesn’t have a Sunni disposition? 8 Adele hit whose title is a greeting 9 Sri Lankan metropolis 10 Mimicked 11 Drawn without instruments 12 Cornfield unit 13 Bashful 21 Playa del Amor’s resort, informally 22 Blacken 26 Spreadable cheese 27 Keatsian poems 30 Ishmael’s captain 31 Katey of “Sons of Anarchy” 33 Boo-boo 34 ___ drag 35 Dull date 36 Energizes, with “up” 37 Lead-in to “bones” or “knuckle” 38 Belgian White beer brewer 42 Having a goatee, perhaps 43 Food-inspecting org. 44 “Nonsense!” 45 Breakfast chain 48 Formula One driver’s sensation 49 Not as hard 50 Like this puzzle 53 Half-pipe jump 55 Pay to play, say 57 Like a shoppe 58 Tupperware toppers 59 Company with many reviews of itself 60 Mil. bigwig 61 Corp. bigwig Bowwow! by Dan Caprera Universal Crossword edited by David Steinberg ACROSS 1 “The Sweetest Taboo” singer 5 Tallboy beer can’s capacity 9 Hen home 13 Recuperate 14 Nebraska city on the Missouri 16 Congres-sional staffer 17 Messes up 18 ___ hand (advantage) 19 Huffed and puffed 20 One-dimensional 22 Donald Glover voiced him in 2019’s “The Lion King” 24 Expense 25 Return from Osaka, say? 27 Tells off 30 Do a trucker’s job 32 Nevertheless, in texts 33 Have debt 35 Runny cheese 37 Body Snatchers, e.g., briefly 39 Trivial Pursuit response 41 “Such is ___” 42 44 45 47 48 49 50 52 54 56 57 60 62 64 67 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 Director Sam Ctrl+Z Like lime juice WPM part Some feta sources Spoiled Sorrow Thompson of “Thor: Ragnarok” Let know Chopping weapon: Var. Kunal’s role in “The Big Bang Theory” Surmise Vend Leave, as a lover Meriting VIP treatment Mildew’s smell, for one Solo such as “Musetta’s Waltz” Duck variety Nun’s relative? “I’ve ___ there ...” Fender ding Bits of caviar DOWN 1 Drawer alternative 2 Cliffside home 3 Start of a fatalistic saying (In this answer, note letters 8-11) 4 Beyond that 5 Certain java (Letters 4-8) 6 Little devil 7 Preschool refreshers 8 Believer in a higher power 9 Scheming group 10 Vinegar accompaniment 11 “___ to the Mets” (Strokes song with a poetic title) 12 Bench that may hold Bibles 15 Unqualified pro (Letters 8-10) 21 Boxer Laila 23 Godsend 26 Type of ray or blocker 28 Yoga pose demonstrated three times in this puzzle? 29 Greta Thunberg, nationality-wise 31 Swamp plant 34 Cupid’s counterpart 35 Be a poor confidant 36 Costa ___ (Panamanian’s neighbor) 38 Nurse a drink 40 Takes to court 43 Like a joke about jokes 46 Cry of victory 51 Lashes grow on it 53 Get, as a concept 55 Cronus or Atlas, e.g. 58 Word after “tag” or “run” 59 Obnoxious people 61 Train trip 63 Rounded roof 64 Vaccine, informally 65 Hot temper 66 Untruth 68 Base of modern society? East Oregonian A15 HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY MATHIS WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2022 Buck Moon The full moon in July is called the Buck Moon because, this time of year, the stag’s antlers, which are shed and regrown more impressively each year, are in full glory. The stag is a creature whose growth is measured by what sprouts from his head. In this way, he is much like us when we make something from our creativity and thoughts. ARIES (March 21-April 19). There’s a difference between having character and being a character. You manage to do both in the best sense of it, finding humor in your circumstances and people to laugh with, too. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). There’s a Promethean fire delivering light to your situation today. You’ll think you know and then, suddenly, you’ll see how things really are with stark clarity. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Magical transformations happen in increments. It seems like your progress is very slow now, but to someone who hasn’t seen you in a while, it’s like you’ve changed overnight. CANCER (June 22-July 22). Communicating well will be an exercise in listening. You’ll observe more than talk, read between the lines and open your heart to subtle information. You’ll intuit what is about to happen and act on your hunches. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’ll be really glad for the experiences you’ve had, the mistakes you’ve made and all you’ve had to overcome. Because you know so much of life, you have stories to tell and ways to help people. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You don’t like having to rely on others, but it’s actually a good thing. You love how it feels to help others. When you let them help you, you’re giving them the chance to feel that way, too. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You aim to, at the very least, please the crowd. But what you really want is to entertain them. That’s why you deliver what’s expected, plus a little more, or with some kind of twist. It’s so fun to see their surprised smiles. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). There’s a spark of excitement. You’re not sure where it’s coming from, but your subconscious is ahead of the game, picking up on something good in your near future. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You never know who is hurting and can be saved by a little kindness. You admire those who treat others with tenderness, as you do. You deserve to have people around you who share your big-heartedness. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Roller coasters can be fun, but you’d rather ride one in a park than in your relationships. Someone with a “no drama” policy will be attracted to your stable, grounded nature. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’ll find new and interesting things to do. This leads to a fun mood, which leads to making new friends. Also, you accept everyone and take measures to include people so no one feels left out. Your popularity is on the rise. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You may discover that what you want is really symbolic for something else. How do you expect to feel once you get it? What else can you do to capture that feeling? TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (July 13). You’ll lovingly embrace a challenge and find out how super capable you are. Things change; you roll with it, shining your talents and cleverness. You’ll learn who you can rely on. Teamwork will bring brilliance to the lives of each team member. Other highlights: a cash prize, a work breakthrough and an important paper signed by three parties. Virgo and Pisces adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 6, 40, 33, 19 and 15. Universal SUDOKU SOLUTIONS HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY MATHIS THURSDAY, JULY 14 Generational Square Venus and Neptune square off, indicating tension between generations. Neptune, known as the higher octave of Venus, is a parental figure and a more concentrated version of certain characteristics. A clash of older and younger people will ultimately teach something to all involved who are willing to seek understanding and listen. ARIES (March 21-April 19). There’s nothing more charismatic than happiness. Products promise beauty. Lotions, potions, accessories and accouterments are there for the purchase, and yet none have the attractive power of your genuine smile. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Your energy is well- applied to cleaning, building, fixing or growing things. You’re inspired by those with a similar work ethic to yours (see Capricorn and Virgo) and will be much more productive with these types around. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’re the glue. You’ll keep everyone together. Once people start peeling off and doing their own thing it gets harder to stay in touch. Play your “music” loud enough for all to hear and they will dance to this song for a time. CANCER (June 22-July 22). You have someone’s complete love. You are much harder on yourself than this person will ever be. Try to see yourself the way this person sees you and you’ll be much kinder to yourself. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). If you know how to reach your goal, but don’t do what’s necessary to get there, it might be that the goal is not quite right for you. If it were, you’d want it enough to do what it takes. A liberating realization will free you to find a better fit. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Planets orbit the sun, moths fly at the lightbulb, humans gather around a fire. Today’s “fire” will come in the form of some incendiary topic. It’s a fine opportunity to practice discretion, steer clear of gossip and take the high road. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Superstars are human too. You don’t really know someone until you understand their vulnerabilities and shortcomings. Though you admire someone’s star quality, you’ve an even deeper love and appreciation for their humanity. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Life isn’t fair, but at least the division of chores can be. If one person is constantly cleaning up after the other, it will get old fast. Is everyone pulling their weight? If not, you can remedy that today and prevent resentment tomorrow. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). As the sky watches clouds drift through, some puffy, some ominous and dark, so you watch a variety of thoughts cross your mind. None call for immediate action. Soon the wind will change, clearing your mind: a reset. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Too many choices hang a question mark over an entire experience. Narrow it down. Let your instinct guide you to the top three options. It will be easier to decide the best of three and move on from there. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). The day is marked by the adrenaline rush of social fun. A bold playfulness is inside you, just waiting for permission to emerge. But you don’t need anyone else’s permission, only your own. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You recognize that there is something you need to learn to become the person you want to be. Training is available in many forms: formal, informal, in books or in person. You’ll have the luxury of choice. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (July 14). Anyone can be impressed by dream destinations and museum curations, and you’ll certainly get your share of typically lovely sights. But it takes a special eye to see uncommon beauty in common things, and this is your superpower and a daily practice. A few of your finds will not only be soul-lifting but also lucrative. Pisces and Aquarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 27, 1, 44 and 17. Universal SUDOKU SOLUTIONS