PUZZLES Thursday, July 14, 2022 Bedhead by Katherine Baicker and Scott Earl Universal Crossword edited by David Steinberg ACROSS 1 Made do 6 Mother’s Day VIP 10 Charitable giving 14 Money, informally 15 Move tediously 16 Dab with a napkin 17 Snarky criticism about an afghan? 19 Singer Bareilles 20 “The Bluest Eye” writer Morrison 21 Mini-albums, briefly 23 Cosmetics brand 24 Skinny 26 Chat about feathers vs. foam? 30 Oklahoma city with a Deco District 32 CAPTCHA target 33 Makes simpler 34 Every last bit 35 Curds’ accompaniment 37 Common game show prize 38 Thumbs-up for Linus’ security item? 44 Wholly acknowledge 45 Chicago mayor Lightfoot 46 Is for you? 47 Japanese dog 50 Apt-sounding name for a brooder? 51 Long parts of guitars 53 Tale about tucking someone in? 56 Word before “transit” or “exodus” 57 Brooding rock genre 58 Expected 59 Mark up with a red pen, say 61 Polka ___ 63 Falsehoods about quilts? 68 Brainstorm goal 69 Search for treasure 70 Garlicky mayo 71 “Happiness” director Solondz 72 Tablet in a modern classroom 73 Pulls hard DOWN 1 World clock std. 2 “So pretty!” 3 Burrito’s wrap 4 Comes into one’s own 5 (I’m so-o-o bored) 6 Speed stat on the dash 7 Pie ___ mode 8 First affordable automobile, many say 9 Actor Jovan of “Watchmen” 10 Targets of situps 11 Woolly animals that spit 12 What team building is meant to boost 13 Libraries’ storage areas 18 Drink sample 22 Take the word of? 24 Wild guess 25 Calm period 27 “Ha, ri-i-ight” 28 Always sticking by 29 Root in a Cantonese cake 31 Cringeworthy 36 “Little red” fowl 37 39 40 41 42 43 47 48 49 50 52 54 55 60 62 64 65 66 67 EMT’s specialty Brief message Serve, as wine Reason for an out-of-office message Noah’s boat and others “I couldn’t care ___” Nailed a test ___ dragon (reptile) Words on a sticker for the civically engaged Meet the moment Clarke of “Game of Thrones” Dinner rolls? Supporting vote Make-or-break time Facebook reaction with a teardrop Protein synthesis molecule Takeoff guess: Abbr. Deer sacred to many tribal nations First roomie, maybe East Oregonian A11 HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY MATHIS FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2022 The Warrior’s Contradiction Today’s tension recalls the contradiction of a samurai warrior. Though they spend years honing deadly skills, they are also trained not to fight unless they absolutely must. The question arises: Should you display your power? To flex will give an advantage to your opponent. An Aquarian lunar conjunction to Saturn favors reaching an agreement. ARIES (March 21-April 19). Your social sophistication helps you find common ground with just about anyone. You’ll keep things light and stay on the surface of conversation. You’ll establish the rapport that starts relationships rolling. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Though you may have doubts as to whether you can accomplish what’s being asked of you, believe in yourself anyway. Training or instinct will kick in just when you need it the most. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). People further along in the endeavor than you may have you thinking you should have embarked sooner, but the important thing is that you’re doing it now. Just maybe, your timing is perfect. Love and support are all around you. CANCER (June 22-July 22). Difficult people abound. Thank goodness for them because otherwise you wouldn’t know if you were really kind or just doing the socially acceptable thing. The truly kind don’t need to be incentivized to treat others well. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). When you first tried to add a skill to your arsenal, you had low hopes. You just didn’t want to be terrible at it. Now you’ve gained proficiency. Do you dare go for mastery? You’re well within the realm. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Your genuine interest in a subject makes learning about it very easy. This is also true of an intriguing person. With your curiosity in the lead, you’ve a knack for taking the conversation right where you want it to go. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). People are drawn to your wow factor. It’s not about what you look like or say; rather, it’s the curiosity and drive that burns in you causing you to unselfconsciously involve yourself in the fascinating world around you. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). It is clear that you are operating on multiple levels at once. You’ll think of someone, then cross paths, or you’ll have an idea and resources show up as though by magic to help you develop it. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). If you feel constricted, you’ll get out of the situation before it can trap you. You know what you want. You seek relationships that will expand you: give you new perspective, different insights and a wider array of options. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You have taken on a burden of guilt over something that wasn’t your fault at all. Your understanding at the time was limited. There were factors in play that were beyond your knowledge or control. Let that all go. Be light. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). A negotiation is in order. Asking for what you want may feel uncomfortable but do it anyway. It will seem easier to just give the other person what they want, but it’s better for both of you to meet somewhere in the middle. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). It will be better to have nothing in the space or no one in the role than to fill it with a subpar alternative. Find the real thing. It will be worth the quest. There will be no suitable substitutes for the genuine article. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (July 15). Family bonds will be braided beautifully this year. You’ll travel for love. You’ll make a sale that helps you move to a new stage in your career. For a long time, you have been wanting to be able to give someone a particular gift and you’ll finally have the chance. Go all out with the presentation! Sagittarius and Capricorn adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 39, 2, 21, 28 and 40. Universal SUDOKU SOLUTIONS Think Twice by Paul Coulter HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY MATHIS Universal Crossword edited by David Steinberg SATURDAY, JULY 16, 2022 Sun-kissed Mercury ACROSS 1 Site for DIY handicrafts 5 Horses’ paces 10 Arguing 14 Burrowing pest 15 Come after 16 Like tidy beds 17 Usher usher? 19 Summit 20 Canine command 21 Fusses near a mirror 22 Spice, or something citrusy 23 Brexit target, briefly 25 Carded 27 Command command? 33 Soaks up sunshine 36 Knockoff 37 Boardroom VIP 38 One prefix for “cycle” 39 Western ties 40 Doll who dated Skipper’s sister 41 Make doll clothes, say 42 Burgundy grape 43 Soaks up sunshine 45 Monk monk? 48 Rock, in rock paper scissors 49 “Holy Toledo!” 52 Atkins diet no-no 54 Love’s opposite 58 Don’t believe it! 60 Student group, say 61 Slump slump? 63 Bad to the bone 64 “Little Orphan ___” 65 Resting on 66 Go out with 67 Brewer’s need 68 Refuse to admit DOWN 1 CPR pros 2 Namely 3 Animalistic sin? 4 Word on a Ouija board 5 Get ready 6 Penny, perhaps, in poker 7 Words of understanding 8 Go bad 9 Congressional periods 10 Dumbfounded 11 Obsolescent music players 12 Dangerous time for Caesar 13 Sermon basis 18 Blunt blades 24 Palindromic poetic preposition 26 Nickname hidden in “hairdresser” 28 Budget, in brand names 29 Parcel out 30 Nail’s partner 31 Raise a stink? 32 Certain children 33 Bankrupt 34 With a clean slate 35 Chinese gooseberry 39 Word before “card” or “suit” 42 “Nova” network 43 Woman in white, perhaps A conjunction of the sun and Mercury in Cancer aligns all things domestic, making this an ideal time to improve your living arrangement or to just enjoy it for all it is. Purchases for the home will work wonderfully and renovations will go smoothly. But the thing that makes domestic life extra sweet is people getting along, which will also be easier now. ARIES (March 21-April 19). You’ve come to a precipice. It’s no accident that you’re here; experience has led you to this new phase. Your skills are your wings. Trust what they can do. When you’re ready to jump, you’ll also be ready to fly. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You’ll soak in a lesson and then immediately apply what you’ve learned, which is how you can be sure you really know it. Tonight brings strong creative urges and you’ll feel more alive when you’re acting on them. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). There’s a part of your life that simply hasn’t warmed up yet. Its season is coming, and when it does, your circumstances and environment will change. The potential that has been waiting like a closed bud will blossom. CANCER (June 22-July 22). You’ll devote yourself completely to your purpose and to attaining the symbol that tells you it’s been achieved. Whether you get there in five minutes or five hours is irrelevant. What matters is that you get there. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’re getting so good at interpreting things in a positive way, looking for possibility and support and finding exactly what you need. Signs point you to your next move. After you see the first one, you will see them everywhere. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). When you think of the scene from an artistic point of view, the elements settle differently. Chaos isn’t inherently ugly, and organization isn’t inherently beautiful. Each state has a certain appeal. The larger context matters. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). There was a time you tried to downplay the very thing that makes you so unique. Now you will celebrate this quality instead, shine it up and maybe even get paid for it! You’ll make just the impression you’re going for. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You’ll work better when you pace yourself, taking breaks. This goes double for play and triple for passion. As one ancient Greek said, “When love is in excess it brings a man no honor nor worthiness.” -- Euripides SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). The purpose of every action isn’t to win the game. If it gets you to the next move, it’s enough. The important thing now is that you’re moving. You can always reassess later. You’ll get your next idea while you’re in motion. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You want to be new and different in some way -- there’s a habit to establish. Your mind loves a pattern. The first step is hard to wrap your head around because it’s not a pattern yet. After a few repetitions you’ll be on your way. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). There are no award ceremonies in superhero movies because, as you know too well, heroes don’t need accolades. Your good deeds may seem to go unnoticed now, but you’ll be deeply satisfied nonetheless. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Have you ever asked yourself to take you on an errand, agreed to the favor, then forgotten to say thank you? You do a lot for yourself and sometimes forget to thank or credit yourself for the contribution. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (July 16). Happiness comes in waves and shifts, giving your year a beautiful rhythm. Doing what you love with talented people will be the source of joy and money. More highlights: an expansion of influence, the completion of a course and three celebrations that will be legendary in your family history and affect the plot of lives. Libra and Scorpio adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 6, 4, 44, 38 and 12. Universal SUDOKU 44 Call upon 46 Small bite 47 Shoelace hole 50 A-list 51 Nurse, as a drink 52 Emailed a dupe to 53 Edison’s middle name 55 First-rate 56 Pescatarian’s steak source 57 Hank Aaron’s 2,297: Abbr. 59 Award such as Best WNBA Player 62 Pops SOLUTIONS