Florida Today from Cocoa, Florida • 15

FLORIDA TODAY TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2012 7B COFFEE BREAK eWMMM. CROSSWORD ACROSS 35 Homeless Man has trouble being faithful I ARICAII VAN BUREN DEAR ABBV Leaf AalM youngster 36 Staffer 37 Thin in tone 38 Suspect's excuse 40 Verve 42 Plead 43 Ventura Freeway city 48 Prohibit 49 Related (to) 50 Watched 51 Reply (Abbr.) 52 Fat 53 Peruse 3 Pirates' potable 4 Dig further 5 Moves up and down 6 Raw rocks 7 the fields we go" 8 Messes up 9 Phnom Penh resident 10 Spill the beans 11 Agile 16 Kids' pie filling? 20 Landers or Curry 21 may be the right solution when you don't want to choose between siblings or close friends. The attendants can share the duties and the fun!" Dear Abby: I'm dating a man, "Jason," who is a DJ. Lately work has been slow for him, but because he was so popular when he was younger, he finds it hard to accept that he will have to get a 9-to-S job. We hope to get married one day, but I am torn because I don't want to support the household on a wing and a prayer.

On the Record in Connecticut Dear On the Record: Marriage is a partnership. You shouldn't have to support the household on a "wing and a prayer" because Jason is dragging his feet about returning to school or becoming brother. We have never been close. There's no communication and no desire for it. We see each other only during the holidays and have had a forced relationship by Mom since we were teens.

My gut instinct tells me my best friend should be my best man. On the other hand, if I tell my brother he isn't the one anymore, I'm afraid it will be the final dagger in any type of relationship with him and his family. I need your advice on this matter. Groom-To-Be in Minnesota Dear Groom-To-Be: You're right that having asked your brother to be your best man, you should not rescind the invitation. However, I have good news.

Your best friend can still be your best man. According to Emily Post, there can be two best men. She says: "Though not so common, two chief attendants do, it would have been better for you to have divorced before you had children. However, now that you do have kids, it's time that you level with your wife. As you stated, she probably has a good idea that something isn't right.

She may prefer to remain married to you until your children are out of the house. Or she may feel that her chances of finding someone else are better if you separate now. You'll never know until you talk to her and she deserves to know the truth. Dear Abby: I am trying to decide who to have as best man at my wedding. I asked my best friend before I got engaged.

After the engagement, I received a lot of pressure and unwanted stress from my mom to have my brother as best man. After arguing with her for a month straight, I finally gave in and asked my 22 American Beauty, e.g. 23 Runs for office 24 Newspaper pg. 26 Hamlet, for one 27 out a living 28 Ireland 29 Challenge 31 Extreme 34 Canadian pol. party 35 Having a stronger bouquet, maybe 37 Pitch 38 "Mamma Mia" group 39 Tilt 40 Eastern potentate 41 Cry from the crow's-nest 44 Alias (Abbr.) 45 Caustic solution 46 Meadow 47 Peculiar 1 Hospital section Nitwit 9 "How I Met Your Mother" network 12 Chills and fever 13 Sandwich cookie 14 Matter-horn, for one 15 Soft yellow cheese 17 Scratch 18" in Boots" 19 Driver for hire 21 Took a curved path 24 "Oops" 25 Reddish horse 26 Hinged (on) 30 Doctrine 31 Autumn tools 32 Rage 33 Left the flight Dear Abby: I have been married for 19 years, but I cannot stay faithful to my wife.

I've had a few affairs, visit "massage parlors" on a regular basis and feel my wife deserves better. I want to walk away from our marriage. We have kids who will be affected, and it will hurt us financially, but I don't feel right staying in a marriage I can't be faithful to. I haven't told my wife about this, but I believe she knows because we haven't been intimate in months. We had discussed divorce several times in the past, but that was before the kids.

Please give me some advice. Living a Lie in The Mid-atlantic Dear Living a Lie: Feeling and behaving as you DOWN 1 Service woman 2 Khan Solution time 21 mins. Write Dear Abby at DearAbby.com or P.O. Bos 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069 ROlWSllG0vglTSA FOR TjTt 0 A 1 hjmK 0 A 0511 A HER "jl ORG fJh Li i. MBsffc f.

J. TJEJo flP ofi7 TUN FtlH OLE ifMwaiil 1 A flH W7 A JL1. v.1 Tf UtL llah lam0 HILL NONE Jl II I Is bird mocking you? Yesterday's answer 4-10 KESTH W1NSTEN BREVARD NATURALLY 1 2 3 15 6 7 I 1 13 10 11 li 71 I 7i T5 20 21 22 23 sA 25 26 27 28 29 30 J1 I IJ2 33 34 I tib IIICZlIt 38 39 4) I 42 PT 43 44 45 4b 47 461 49 50 to use nature against the oppressed rebels always backfires. The rebels soon learn that the "Jab-berjays" are spies and use them to plant false information. Then the Jabberjays crossbreed with mockingbirds to produce "mockingjays," the totem animal of the series protagonist.

I thought this was a pretty good choice by the author, because although they are not officially mimids, blue jays are actually pretty good mimics too. These distinctively blue birds are found in both suburban and wooded areas throughout the county (as opposed to Scrub Jays, which are only found in scrub). They often forage and defend territory in noisy family groups. Interspersed with their eponymous "jay-jay" call, jays often uncannily mimic other species. They are particularly good at imitating the calls of hawks.

Why they like to mimic raptors remains unclear. So next time you hear a mockingbird calling from your mailbox or a blue jay screeching from the woods, take a moment and try to figure out who they are imitating. Like the jabberjays, it could be you. called the Bahama Mockingbird. The best place to usually see them is in the Florida Keys.

Just as large as the mockingbird, but much more inconspicuous by habit is the Brown Thrasher. Another long-tailed bird, thrashers tend to dart between patches of dense undergrowth. They are most easily identifying by their rich, brownish color that seems to glow on overcast days. While mockingbirds tend to repeat their calls three times, thrashers usually do it twice. I tend to see them more in the winter than the summer, although they are theoretically here all year round.

Finally, our least accomplished mimic is the Gray Catbird. They 6port a dark gray plumage with a black cap and tend to stay hidden most of the time. They only repeat calls one time, but do have a distinctive meow-like call thus the name. According to the literature, they are only found during migration, but I think I've observed some nesting pairs in Brevard County. Interestingly in the "Hunger Games" series, the evil empire's effort SCRAMLETS THAT DAILY PUZZLER WORD GAME Edited by Ray Rosemary Gray Rearrange letters of the four scrambled words below to form four simple words.

1 1 1 A I I In the hit movie "The Hunger Games" and the book it was based on, Mimids play a major role. Mimids are a group of birds that like thrushes have beautiful, elaborate songs, but as their name implies, they "mimic" the songs of other birds. The mimics in the movie are human-born mutants whose powers of song replication are so powerful that they can be used as spies repeating human conversations to the other side. Although organically created, our Florida native mimics are pretty accomplished as well. And right now is the time you can easily see all three species in Brevard.

The most insistent, numerous and talented mimic is the aptly named Northern Mockingbird. They live here year-round and are among our most abundant birds. You see them perching everywhere in suburban areas and are easily recognized as a fairly large gray bird with obvious wing patches. Their call is even more distinctive they generally repeat bits other bird songs three times, than switch "to another purloined call, which they again repeat three times. This can go on for hours they will call all day, and some times to their sleeping neighbors' horror, they will also call all night.

They are such good mimics that you can sometimes figure out what other species of birds they are hanging out with, just by listening to their calls. Most people don't realize that in Southern Florida, we sometimes get a close relative of the Northern Mockingbird, a brownish version A GLU 5 1 6 I My doctor once commented, is a serious mental 0 I I I Complete the chuckle quoted by filling in the missing words you deyelop from step No. 3 below. HOROSCOPES ARIES (March 21-April 19). You won't like the way a situation is going.

You're so creative now that you'll be able to come up with about seven ways to lead in an alternate direction. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Send a message of forgiveness to your own mirror. If there's something keeping you from doing this, identify the issue. GEMINI (May21-June 21) Your lifestyle will speak volumes to the people close to you. Consider what you might do now to make them know how deeply they are loved.

CANCER (June 22-July 22) You'll be like a child now, too, figuring out how you might fit in with a new group LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You're probably not looking for love, but that doesn't rule out having it in your life. Love, in its many forms, will be out there looking for you today, and by the day's end, you'll consider yourself found. VIRGO (Aug.

23-Sept. 22) You'll only share your visions and dreams with those you really trust. People have to know you and prove their trustworthiness over a period of time before you'll open up to them. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct.

23) You'll be mentally sharp in the morning and then again late in the evening. The afternoon brings a slump that will actually be quite enjoyable if you give into it and relax with good company. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).

You feel that the onus is on you to put a few crazy notions into the mix. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You've been dreaming about how things should go or could go in a perfect world.

Now you'll be reconciling the way things actually are CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Extenuating circumstances may have you taking less than optimal care of yourself. Get back to basics.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). The one who loves you is also able to hurt you with so much as a cross-eyed look. Knowing this, you might recognize the similar power you hold with your love and wield that power gently.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You have a way of spiritually reaching into the heart of someone, plucking a molecule for examination and then reading the feeling. TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (April 10). Strong relationships will transform and bring unexpected benefits this year.

Take a chance on yourself over the next six weeks. The training or an investment will pay in September. Friendship and romance decorate your July. Social connections lead to financial connections in June. Libra and Scorpio people adore you.

Your lucky numbers are: 5, 2, 13, 29 and 41. Log on to floridatoday com for interactive horoscope. O' PINT NUMBERED LETTERS IN SQUARES I I I I I I I I 0' UNSCRAMBLE FOR I I I I FT I I I ANSWER I I I I LI I I I A tf. 7., SCRAMLETS ANSWERS 4912 Tennis Flame Style Dismay IMITATE When people are free to do as they please, they" usually IMITATE each other. CRYPTOQU1P IBXE ZDAX ODLFWLRDRZ ODDB TWN FDETNH FPX IDNHXNXH QPDFDZ, ZD ZRQQDZX JTLLXH FPX JNTAXZ.

1 Mockingbirds have obvious wing patches, file photo Yesterday's Crvptcxiiip: AT THE EYE DOCTORS' GALA. I RECKON THEY JLST LOUNGE AROUND ALL NIGHT TELLING CORNEA JOKES. Today's Cryptoquip Clue: equals INSTRUCTIONS: Find as many words as you can by linking fetters up. down, side-to-side ana diagonally, writing words on a blank sheet of paper. You may only use each letter box once within a single word Play with a friend and compare word finds, crossing out common words.

YOUR BOGGLE FtATING 3 Iff 1 pofnQ (A letters 2 points) 6 letters 3 points) Ce letters points) 7 letters 6 points By David Hoyt and Jeff Knurek LULU 151 Champ 101-150- Expert 61-100- Pro 31-60- Gamer 21-30- Rookie 1 1 20 Amateur 0-10 -Try again SUiUtAt fUlUJS tyThlpham6nuf Blotters 10 points) letters 16 points Complete the grid ao each row. column and 3-by-3 bo (tn bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9 For trategiee on hoer to solve Sudoku. vtsrt www.eudc4ru.ors.utl SOLUTION TO MONDAY'S PUZZLE Boggle BrainBusters Bonus We put special brain-busting words into the arid of letters. Can you find them? Find FIVE DRINKING VESSELS in the grid of letters. Write your answer below.

iNjfJfoj aTsTgJcI I 39 I 1 jT 2 31 1 5 '6 7 7 i I 6 6 3 5 8 9 1 8 I I 1 3 1 5 I :4 7' 8M 1 5 3 1 i 1 I 1 4 7 I'i 6 3 2 5 9 7 3 6 2 8 14 3 6 2 1 9 5 7 9 2 6 3 7 1 5 46 4 7 6 2 IS 1 3 9 5 3 1 6 4 9 27 8 4 6 3 8 17 2 5 9 8 9 5 4 2 6 71 3 7 2 1 i's 6 4 8 BOGGLE a tredwrurt Hnbro. he 4-IO-li GKIIHMfftinc OetrthjtaaoyTnMntMidaSarwM toffm Rsttived. 2012 The Mepnam Qrouo Distributed bv Tnpune Me1ia Sw AH nQhts rewveet Answers to Monday's Boogte B'ainBustts: LAWrER BENCH TRIAL JUDGE JURY www bogglebrainbusfers.com.