Los Angeles Times - 16.11.2019

E6 LATIMES.COM/CALENDAR

COMICS

ACROSS

1 Celebrate Black Friday,

say

5 Data transmission unit

9 Jets

14 TV show set in a theme

park

16 Island along the Au’au

Channel

17 Scheming

18 Red Sox slugger David

19 Spears label

20 Epps of “House”

21 Windex unit

22 Noble title

24 Nickname for “The King

of Clay”

26 Goofy image?

27 California wine region

30 Tchotchke holder

33 Beyoncé and Jay-Z, e.g.

36 Symbolic gift, often

38 Corporate espionage

target

40 Swamp gas, essentially

43 Watch closely

45 The “black” in black ice

46 Worshipper’s subject

49 “The Open Window”

author

50 Coat-like garments

53 Collars

56 It can be risky to work

without one

57 “I surrender!”

58 Place to get some

culture?

60 Arabic for “struggle”

61 Repurposed railway,

perhaps

62 Tabloid twosomes

63 Lot

64 Bruise-resistant

potatoes, say, briefly

DOWN

1 Some cake decorations

2 House with many layers

3 Character recognition?

4 Bk. fair organizer

5 Good time

6 Cheering loudly

7 __ running: more-than-

a-marathon race

8 Driller’s deg.

9 Farm fare

10 Henry VIII’s sixth

11 Sweet-talk

12 One needing orders

13 Pizzazz

15 “Don’t know her”

21 Course for H.S. exam

takers

23 Benefit by

25 Longstanding disputes

28 Funny Anne

29 Fancy suits

31 “... a grin without

a cat!” thinker

32 Action and

adventure

34 Produced some Java

35 x/x

37 Garden favorite also

known as cranesbill

39 Becomes fond of

40 Peak that last erupted

in 1707-’08

41 Be deserving

42 Cough drop

44 Donates, in a way

47 First African-American

major-league coach

Buck

48 Hanukkah dinner staple

51 Chowder morsel

52 Some kicks, so to speak

54 Produce some java

55 It may precede and

follow yes

58 “Finding Your Roots”

airer

59 __ days

ANSWER TO

PREVIOUS PUZZLE

11/16/19

11/16/19

SUDOKU

BLISS By Harry Bliss

KENKEN

Every box will contain a number; numbers depend on the size of the grid. For a 6x6

puzzle, use Nos. 1-6. Do not repeat a number in any row or column. The numbers in each

heavily outlined set of squares must combine to produce the target number found in the

top left corner of the cage using the mathematical operation indicated. A number can be

repeated within a cage as long as it is not in the same row or column.

FAMILY CIRCUS By Bil Keane DENNIS THE MENACE By Hank Ketcham

ARGYLE SWEATER By Scott Hilburn MARMADUKE By Brad & Paul Anderson

CROSSWORD

By Debbie Ellerin © 2019 Tribune Content Agency

Edited By Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

SPEED BUMP By Dave Coverly

Aries(March 21-April 19):
Of all things you could cash
out on, you didn’t think that
your patience would be the
one to bring big dividends.
Yet it certainly will today.
Taurus (April 20-May
20): It’s easy to see the world
as you experience it, and it’s
hard to see the world as it is.
Your idea to run your plan by
a few friends before you act
will counteract this truth.
Gemini(May 21-June 21):
You’ll live it, and then you’ll
tell the story that spreads. It
will feel wonderful to be a
part of something that ben-
efits so many.
Cancer(June 22-July 22):
It seems love should come
naturally, but it’s more com-
plicated and conscious than
that. Luckily, you love to
learn, and you learn to love.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22):
You adjust like a champ.
You’ll continue to change
your offering to fit the situa-

tion at hand.

Virgo(Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

The truth is that even the

most gracious people feel so-

cially awkward sometimes.

If you could hear everyone’s

internal dialogue, it would

shock you and comfort you.

Libra(Sept. 23-Oct. 23):

Just when you think a situa-

tion has run its course, a new

cycle will kick in.

Scorpio(Oct. 24-Nov. 21):

Figure out who is predis-

posed to do what you have in

mind, and then rally those

people to get it done.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-

Dec. 21): You want a relation-

ship to be wonderful. So

everything you do that goes

above and beyond the ex-

pectation is, to you, just part

of the package.

Capricorn(Dec. 22-Jan.

19): You’ve a single focus.

When you hold that idea,

everything else fades into

the background. This is

what it means to be driven.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb.

18): How many difficult

things should you require of

yourself in a day? One to five

works for most days. But to-

day, the answer is none.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March

20): You might find yourself

in a position to apologize for

someone else or take offense

on their behalf, either of

which might be crossing the

lines of social responsibility.

Though that feels right.

Today’s birthday (Nov.

16): You’re so close to a goal

you can almost touch the

prize. Make a new aim be-

yond it. You’ll claim your win

and have more to look for-

ward to. Your capabilities

will expand along with your

capacity to receive the best

life has to offer. Young peo-

ple will thrive under your tu-

telage. Leo and Pisces adore

you. Your lucky numbers

are: 7, 19, 37, 48 and 10.

Holiday Mathis writes her

column for Creators

Syndicate Inc. The

horoscope should be read

for entertainment.

HOROSCOPE

By Holiday Mathis

“Simple Saturday” col-

umns help aspiring players

improve technique and de-

velop logical thinking.

Beginners must absorb a

body of material: the struc-

ture of a bidding system and

the techniques of play. But

the appeal of the game lies in

logical thinking: working out

what to do instead of follow-

ing a “rule.”

Against today’s 3NT,

West leads the jack of dia-

monds, and dummy’s queen

wins. Declarer next leads a

heart: four, queen, ace. What

should West do next?

West knows that South

has the A-K of diamonds

and can infer that he has the

ace of clubs. If South’s clubs

were, say, 10-x-x, he would

set up the suit promptly.

South has shown the queen

of hearts, so he can’t have

A-Q in spades. That would

give him 19 points — too

many to open 1NT. And if

South has even the ace, 3NT

is cold.

At Trick Three, West

must lead a low spade. When

East’s ace wins, he should re-

turn a spade (West’s LOW

spade lead shows interest in

spades), and the defense will

prevail.

Question: You hold: ♠10 7

4 ♥K 8 2 ♦Q 5 ♣K Q J 5 3.

Your partner opens 1NT.

North in today’s deal raised

to 3NT with this hand. Do

you agree, or would you have

shown your clubs?

Answer: North’s bid was

correct. The clubs will win

tricks at notrump, and the

cheaper nine-trick game is

preferable. The times when

3NT fails and you could have

done better at clubs are too

rare to worry about. But to

bid clubs would be reason-

able if you held 4, K 8 2, Q 5 4,

A Q 10 7 6 5.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

♠10 7 4

♥K 8 2

♦Q 5

♣K Q J 5 3

WEST EAST

♠K J 6 2 ♠A 9 8

♥A 9 ♥J 10 6 5 4

♦J 10 9 8 7 ♦6 3 2

♣7 2 ♣9 6

SOUTH

♠Q 5 3

♥Q 7 3

♦A K 4

♣A 10 8 4

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1 NT Pass 3 NT All Pass

Opening lead — ♦J

Tribune Media Services

BRIDGE

By Frank Stewart

Dear Amy:My brother and

his wife, who live in a distant

town, are hoarders. It’s not

the gross kind you see on

television, just an out-of-

control lack of organization

comprised of laundry, pa-

pers and mostly — TOYS.

My preadolescent neph-

ews have no interest in the

hundreds of toys that clutter

the house. If they are not at

an organized sports event,

they are staring at their

phone or tablet.

Along every wall are

stacked boxes of barely

opened or unopened Christ-

mas and birthday gifts.

I cannot bear to add to

this clutter, and besides,

whatever I got for them

would be summarily dis-

missed. Don’t suggest get-

ting a book; they don’t touch

cellulose-based media. Gift

certificates would go un-

used. They eat only a limited

array of bland foods, so I

can’t send them treats. I

can’t be there with them to

do things, because they live

800 miles away, limiting

interactions to twice a year.

Are they too young to just

say, “No more Christmas or

birthday gifts?”

Wondering Relative

Dear Wondering:Before

declaring “no more gifts” to

these younger boys, perhaps

you could find ways to recog-

nize these occasions and

milestones. Look into open-

ing “custodial accounts” for

them and let them know

that each birthday you will

deposit a set amount into

these accounts.

You could tell them you

will release their funds on or

around their 18th birthdays.

They should be allowed

some access to see how their

accounts are growing, even if

they can’t withdraw funds.

It’s important to keep in

touch with these boys,

through social media, send-

ing them cards and letters,

and generally expressing an

interest in their lives.

Uncles and aunts have

very real opportunities to in-

fluence their nephews and

nieces, even over a distance.

Understand that the emo-

tional investment you make

might not earn immediate

“interest.” These relation-

ship investments tend to

grow slowly over time.

Dear Amy: I manage a

small group of employees in

a regional office. As the most

senior employee, I am the de

facto “office boss.”

Recently, I found out that

one of my senior female em-

ployees (who is married with

children) has begun an affair

with a junior male employee.

Such relationships are

not against company policy,

however, the nature of their

relationship has certainly

changed the office dynamic.

We are a close-knit group

who neither endorses nor

addresses their relation-

ship, but we are vehemently

opposed to infidelity.

A schism has begun to

take hold and I am worried

that it will have negative ef-

fects on the office (as well as

the stability of my staffing)

should something go wrong.

I have notified our HR de-

partment and was advised

to monitor and address this,

should their work suffer, but

beyond that, there is little to

do, as the relationship is not

against company policy.

How do I navigate this?

Upset

Dear Upset:Follow HR di-

rectives and document the

impact of this relationship

on the employees’ work, as

well as the changing dynam-

ic of the rest of your staff.

Your disapproval of their

choice is immaterial. You

should not cover for them, or

deliberately reveal them.

Deal only with their work.

Ask HR for specific rec-

ommendations for commu-

nicating with the employees

about their behavior.

Send questions to Amy

Dickinson by email to ask

[email protected].

ASK AMY

Don’t add to the clutter