SUN 25 JUN 2000

WEEKLY WHINE

Nine letter word for happiness

Continuing the axiom that the best things come in sixteens, here are the sixteen best reasons to do crosswords.

	Sometimes they really have to reach to make a clue fit
	Apiaries!
	Sometimes the last block is ambiguous
	69 Across
	Fills up hours - or days - or more
	Bad puns like five letters, "Baseball player's favorite Simpson?"
	Better than the bridge column
	Only twenty six possible choices!
	They're rotationally symmetric [or are supposed to be]
	A big block of capital letters!
	You can send in your own
	There are lots of themed ones, like baseball and space!
	You learn that "cager" has to do with basketball
	One last week asked for eight letters, "Krypton, in chemistry" and for six letters, "Krypton, in comic books"
	Crosswords and lefties: That's about all there is at Caltech
	They bring people together - even if they're bugging you with answers you don't want