HOROSCOPE

Horoscope.com

Friday, March 24, 2023

ARIES — You may run into a great deal of opposition from just about every quarter, Aries.

The most frustrating part about this is that even the people you turn to for help will transform the situation into an even bigger mess. Instead of finding relief, you may find more complications and misunderstandings.

TAURUS — You’re becoming much more perceptive, Taurus. At the same time, your psyche and unconscious knowing are also more acute. You may find that you know more about the way someone feels than that person does. More than likely, this sort of perspective is causing you to want to take aggressive action in order to shake people up and help them open their own eyes to the situation at hand.

GEMINI — You’re likely to act with great immediacy, Gemini. You will instantly know what to do in a situation, especially a crisis. You’re likely to be thinking at top speed and moving with efficiency and courage. You should feel strong knowing that there’s a terrific support system surrounding you in case things go awry.

CANCER — If someone tries to criticize you, Cancer, don’t be afraid to defend yourself. Other people aren’t going to be afraid to speak their minds, and you shouldn’t either. You may feel like someone is prodding you with a stick. They probably just want to get some sort of reaction out of you. Be honest about how you feel and explain your statements instead of just being curt.

LEO — Be a friend to someone new and lend a hand to a greater cause than just your own advancement, Leo. Ally with people by offering your support instead of asking for it. Give more of yourself and you will find that in the long run you will receive a great deal more than you ever would have asked for.

VIRGO — The gas is on, Virgo. One spark can cause an explosive fireball. There’s a tremendous amount of potential energy to the day just waiting to be unleashed. Know what you’re getting into before you light that match. The effects of your actions will ripple for some time. That said, go ahead and set the situation on fire.

LIBRA — This is truly a day of new beginnings, Libra. You can start a fresh cycle of emotions and understanding that can help you develop the quality and depth of your relationships. Note that all levels of your relationships will be affected in some way. Take time to consider the fact that you’re at the starting line.

SCORPIO — Stop dwelling on old projects and routines based on situations that have long since expired, Scorpio. Note the changes that have occurred around you and adjust your plans. This is a good time to honestly examine your situation. Being aggressive in your approach toward improvement and change means letting go of what no longer serves you.

SAGITTARIUS — You’re apt to feel stronger within, helping you to connect the inner and outer sides of your personality, Sagittarius. You may feel like you have all your troops united on a common front and are making tremendous progress toward reaching your goals. Don’t stop. Your momentum is strong. Things you set in motion now will have a tremendous effect that will continue to increase over time.

CAPRICORN — There’s an explosive quality about the day. You may walk along, minding your own business, when someone accidentally bumps into you. Your first reaction may be to push that person back. Carelessness on the part of others may cause you to get worked up into fits of rage. Do your best to keep these tendencies under control, especially when driving.

AQUARIUS — You have a tremendous amount of drive and enthusiasm to help you move forward in your projects, Aquarius. Be careful that you don’t act hastily or impulsively. Be careful of starting out on a new path without having a good idea about where it’s going. Rash decisions may lead to dangerous situations, so know what direction to go in before you start the car. Be safe.

PISCES — A relationship with a close partner may get a bit confused, Pisces. You could react quickly to a situation without really thinking before speaking. There may be some confusion in your mind about whether to stay silent or take a more aggressive route and blurt out everything you feel. It’s important that you find an equal balance of both.

Daily Bridge

By FRANK STEWART

Tribune Content Agency

Friday, March 24, 2023

A church newsletter contained this: “Dan Smith and Lisa Jones were married Saturday. Thus ends a friendship that began in their high school days.”

Rumor has it that today’s deal broke up the East-West partnership. When North opened 1NT, East doubled for penalty. South then indulged in a wild leap to four spades, and East hammered that.

West led the ten of hearts: king, ace, ruff. South next led a trump, and East took his king, forced South to ruff another heart, won the next trump and forced with a third heart. South then drew trumps — he had one left — and let the jack of diamonds ride. East won ... and South claimed. East was annoyed, West more so.

CLUB TRICK

East might have saved the partnership. The defense needs a club trick to beat the contract, so East must lead the king at Trick Three. When in with the ace of spades, he leads the jack of clubs, and the defense cashes West’s ten when East takes the king of diamonds.

As far as I know, East-West are still married.

You hold:

Sudoku

Codeword Puzzle

J 7 5

J 5. You open one heart, your partner responds one spade,

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill in the grid so every row, every column and every 3-by-3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9. that means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

Sudoku puzzles appear on the Diversions page Monday through Saturday.

Crossword Puzzle

Answers to previous CODEWORD

How to play Codeword

Codeword is a fun game with simple rules, and a great way to test your knowledge of the English language. Every number in the codeword grid is ‘code’ for a letter of the alphabet. Thus, the number 2 may correspond to the letter L, for instance. All puzzles come with a few letters to start. Your first move should be to enter these letters in the puzzle grid. If the letter S is in the box at the bottom of the page underneath the number 2, your first move should be to find all cells numbered 2 in the grid and enter the letter S. Cross the letter S off the list at the bottom of the grid. Remember that at the end you should have a different letter of the alphabet in each of the numbered boxes 1- 26, and a word in English in each of the horizontal and vertical runs on the codeword grid.

Puzzle

you jump to 2NT and he bids three diamonds. What do you say?

ANSWER: You must show your spade support — what partner wants to hear — but since you have strong three-card support and slammish values, jump to four spades. You will reassure him about trump quality, a vital factor in slam bidding. With Q J 9 7 3, 6, A Q 6 4, Q 4 3, he will make a slam move.